


Sand in My Shoes, Head Over Feet

by Awriterwrites



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: A teeny bit of angst, Age Difference, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Fluff and Smut, It's part of a smutty fic exchange so..., Louis hates patchouli, M/M, Rimming, Smut, Swimming, but a happy ending, but he loves it on Harry, but nothing illegal, those damn yellow shorts, too much patchouli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 05:58:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 44,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4949305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awriterwrites/pseuds/Awriterwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last thing Louis wants to do is babysit a bunch of kids this summer.  Especially not for three weeks at his family's summer home.  No, he'd rather stay home and wallow in self-pity.  He definitely doesn't want to sleep under the same roof as his sister's friend, who happens to be a spectacle of a boy:  wide eyed, curly haired, long legged and virtual sex on legs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hopelesswriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelesswriter/gifts).



> This was based on a prompt from the very creative and lovely hopelesswriter. I hope I did it justice!
> 
> This fic includes Louis' family and I would like to state VERY clearly--this is all fiction; hypothesized fiction! Nothing real here. The names are the same but everything else is different. This entire story is a fabrication of my wild imagination (with some lovely prompting from hopelesswriter). Also, I'm not British so I took some creative license with things like geography and higher education. Yup. Made some of that stuff up too...
> 
> As cheesy as Alanis Morissette's song "Head Over Feet" is, I thought it was an appropriate title and sentiment to this fic. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> You’ve already won me over in spite of me  
> And don’t be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
> And don’t be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
> I couldn’t help it  
> It’s all your fault

**Chapter 1**

Louis needed to come.

He needed to come, like…yesterday. His hair is sweaty and matted to his forehead, the sheets tangled up in his legs. The window was open but there was absolutely no breeze coming through and his mum, god bless her, refused to put the air conditioning on if it was less than 95 degrees outside. He had squirted the last of his lube from a pathetic nearly empty bottle all over his clammy hand nearly 15 minutes ago and nothing was happening.

He tried everything. All the usual tricks weren’t working. He imagined David Beckham, sweaty and running off the field. Nothing. He thought about that one professor, the one with the beard. Nothing. Shit. He even tried imagining getting off with Jake Gyllenhall’s mouth wrapped tight around him and still…nada.

He could hear his sisters bickering downstairs and his mother’s shrill yell echoing through the floorboards. That probably wasn’t helping matters. He slid his loosely fisted hand over his shaft, his dick flagging pathetically. He tried slipping his longest finger inside himself but he couldn’t quite reach at this angle, and fuck, it was so fucking hot in here he just couldn’t think straight.

“Louis! Louis! Get down here! I need your help!” His mum bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.

Jesus Christ. Failing out of college was not only the worst thing he could do for himself, for his future, but his fucking dick was suffering now too.

“Coming!” He shouted back, the irony not lost him.

He kicked the limp sheets off of himself and wiped his sticky hand absently on the mattress. He searched the ground for a pair of underwear and track shorts, pulling both on grumpily. If he could just jack off in peace. Honestly. His mood would be better. His life might improve just a fraction if he didn’t have this intense need to come coiled up inside of him all the time.

The last time he’d had sex was with a random guy he picked up exactly 6 days before he got the notice that he was no longer welcome at university, thank you very much. That had been three months ago. He had packed up his meager belongings (filling one suitcase and one garbage bag) and dragged himself home, tail between his legs, pride wounded and suddenly adrift in a sea of complete and utter nothingness. He wasn’t a college student. He didn’t have a job. He didn’t have his own place. All he had was his family, whom he loved but jeez….did they always have to be home? And he had his poor pathetic dick. With no relief in sight.

The worst part was that he was 23 years old and just one semester shy of his teaching degree (with a minor in theater). He felt like an old man. An old man with no future prospects and not one thing to call his own.

Fuck all if his life wasn’t depressing right now.

“Louis!” His mom was really going for it now. Her normally quiet calm voice had raised itself to an octave heard by just about every dog in the neighborhood. When Johannah Tomlinson meant business everyone heard about it.

Louis grabbed the nearest t-shirt, throwing it on inside out and stumbled out the door. He couldn’t be bothered with clean presentable clothing. Who was going to see him anyway? He wasn’t even hard anymore. Add that to the list of pitiful things he could call his failures and disappointments.

“Louis, I need…I need you to change the baby. The girls are driving me up a wall and I need to take Lottie to the mall.” Louis mother shoved one of the babies, who could really tell anymore which one, into his arms and bent over to pick up a shoe. They didn’t match, but he wasn’t going to tell her that, looking down at the mismatched flip flops she had on, one black and the other navy blue.

Louis kissed his little brother on the top of the head. At least he figured out which one it was. This was his little brother, wasn’t it? He was staring into the cherubic little face as the baby gripped his nose with a tight squeeze of pudgy little dimpled fingers. “That’s my nose, little man. Ow. Darling, it’s not polite to put your finger up someone else’s nostrils.”

The child in Louis’ arms chortled and flapped his arms around in a sweet little pattern that only made sense to him. Louis smiled again, in spite of himself. Ok, so maybe his life really sucked right now but…this? Holding his little brother in the middle of the day on a Thursday. That was pretty cool. He walked with Earnest cradled in his arms to the changing table near the window in the living room. There was baby and kid crap everywhere, all over this house, he thought, as he threw a stuffed bear to the ground, and settled Ernie down on the foam mat. He set about changing him, getting supplies ready and babbling to his brother all about the importance of good penis hygiene.

Just as Louis was about to fasten the diaper up around Earnest’s chubby tummy, Earnest let go of the longest stream of piss that Louis had ever seen come out of a baby. And he’d seen a lot of babies. He had 6 siblings. And, of course, the offending liquid managed to spurt up in the air and land right on top of Louis’ hair.

“Fucking shit fucker!” Louis hollered, slapping the diaper on top of the baby’s midsection, startling the giggling child, causing him to cry.

“Louis! Language!” His mother yelled at him from across the room, hurrying over to push Louis out of the way and soothe one of her youngest offspring.

Louis stood there, pee dripping over his face, his hands limp at his side (just as limp as his long suffering cock), and thought he could cry too. Pee dripping down his face was not only humiliating and disgusting, but it reminded Louis of just how miserable his life had become. Just because of a few too many nights indulging in vodka, sex and that really good weed the stoner down the hall always seemed to have an endless supply of, Louis was standing here in his childhood home, coated in piss.

“Sorry.” He muttered to his mum.

“S’ ok, love. Go take a shower. I’ll put the babies down and run out. I’ll be back in about a half an hour. Can you take care of things for me here, darling?” His mum looked up at him with tired eyes, the dark smudges under her pretty blue irises a permanent reminder of all her countless worries.

“Yes mum.” He said quietly. He might have it bad, but at least he didn’t have 7 kids and barely a moment to himself. No, he was ok, comparatively.

****

A shower really can do wonders for a boy, Louis thought, humming an old Cold Play song and finger brushing his too long hair out on top of his head. Not only did he feel cooler (cold showers help with the heat AND the sexual frustration) but he also smelled better and found that his whole outlook on life had improved a fraction.

Until he ran into one of his pesky sisters in the hallway.

He was jogging toward the stairs to go make a snack for himself, and maybe clean the kitchen up for his mother, when Fizzy stopped him abruptly with her hands on her hips blocking the hallway.

“Mum says you’re taking us to Nan’s beach house this summer.” Her 16 year old voice was nasal and high pitched, and it reminded Louis of nails on a chalkboard.

“Fuck if I am.” Louis retorted, pushing past his sister, already thinking about the ham sandwich he was going to make himself.

“I’m telling mum you cursed.” Fizzy sing-songed, following her older brother down the stairs.

“Ask me if I give a shit?” Louis sing-songed right back, turning the corner to the kitchen.

It looked like a bomb went off in the cheery yellow kitchen. Louis surveyed the damage. Every surface was covered with something. Dishes, wrappers, cutlery…baby toys. He’d have to clean before he could make a sandwich. If there was one thing Louis needed when cooking it was lots of space. He was creative in the kitchen, ok? Even if cooking to him consisted of instant oatmeal and white bread sandwiches. It was a process. A process that took a lot of room.

Besides, it would help his mum out, so…

Louis started chucking empty packaging and wrappers in the trash can and stacked dirty dishes in the sink. Those he would tackle next. As Fizzy did an obnoxious jig all around him as he worked, he cleared the countertops efficiently, ignoring his sister as best he could.

“Mooooooommmmm said.” She screeched in his ear.

Louis turned on the ancient CD player in the corner of the kitchen, the Rolling Stones Greatest Hits coming to life. Louis started singing loudly, in an attempt to block Fizzy out and maybe, just maybe, he might succeed in annoying her as much as she was annoying him. Circling his hips as he wiped down all of the sticky surfaces he added dancing and jumping around to his cleaning efforts.

“If you start me up…” He crooned. “Start me up, I’ll never stop…”

Fizzy’s face was turning crimson. She stood on top of the table and shouted in to her hands “Louis Tomlinson is taking his sisters to the BEEEEEEEAAAAAACCCHHHH.”

Louis gripped a soaking wet wash cloth in his hand and was just about to whip it at Fizzy’s pretty head when his mother walked through the door. “Felicite! Get down from there immediately!”

Louis stuck his tongue out at his red-faced sister, who was scrambling off the table at an alarming speed, her skinny arms and legs flying everywhere. She had a menacing look on her face, that Louis recognized as the Tomlinson temper. He was going to have to take imminent cover.   His sister flew across the room at him, claws bared, as his mother screamed at her to go to her room. Fizzy stopped in her tracks, glared at Louis, sputtering with steam practically spewing from her ears. She seemed to be considering the consequences of disobeying her mother, but, in the end, decided to err on the side of caution, turning on her heel in retreat.

Louis cackled under his breath and proceeded with loading the dishwasher, his stomach rumbling loudly. His mother put a few grocery items away in the refrigerator, stooping down and groaning as she simultaneously rubbed her back. Louis heard her and asked, “Need a massage, mum?”

“No, that’s ok, honey. Just need to sit down a bit. I’ve been going since 5 this morning.”

“What was Fizzy on about, mum?” He asked, turning back to the sink.

His mother was quiet, standing up and putting the kettle on. When she didn’t answer right away, Louis turned off the water at the tap and faced her. “Mum?”

Louis’ mother turned around and pulled her hair back up into the pony tail that had fallen loose over the course of the morning. She let out a heavy sigh. “Lou. I was going to talk to you about it later today…”

Louis could see what was coming and he started to balk right away. “No way. Uh-uh. Not gonna happen mum.”

Johannah turned around, back to the kettle, her shoulders slumped in resigned exhaustion. She poured steaming water over two bags in one mug and one bag in the other. Louis took his tea strong, no sugar, no cream. Louis was quiet as he watched her prepare the tea. He shut the dishwasher door and went to the fridge. He decided he was too hungry to actually make a sandwich so he pulled the package of lunch meat from the drawer and peeled off two slices. He rolled them up and stuffed one whole slice in his mouth.

His mother gestured to the table and Louis followed her, loudly chewing on the highly preserved meat. “Lou…I need you to do this for me. I need a break, for Christ’s sake, and you…”

Louis raised an eyebrow and stuffed the other slice of rolled ham in his mouth. Johannah continued, “Look, you’re not working, you just lay around here feeling sorry for yourself and…I need the help. The girls want to go and I’m just not up to it. You’ll only have the older girls.” She wrapped her hands around the mug of steaming tea and took a deep breath, concern in her eyes as she talked to her eldest child. “Lou, maybe while you’re on holiday you can sort some things out, yeah? Figure out what to do with yourself?”

Louis was quiet, lost in thought. It was no secret that his mum was disappointed in him for flunking out. But, she’d been nothing but supportive. She welcomed him back with open arms and hadn’t hassled him much about his lack of direction, or his lack of ambition, for that matter. It had been years since he’d been to the shore. His Nan’s beach house was really quite idyllic, nestled in the woods about 2 blocks from the sea. It was big and spacious and really was a great little spot to get away from it all. It might not be half bad.

It wasn’t like he had much else going on.

Louis looked at his mother, fatigue having left a stamp all over her lined face. Probably would be like a vacation to her to only have the two wee ones for nearly a month instead of all 7 of them crowding her space, stealing her food, mussing about the house…

“I’ll do it, mum.” He said, partly eager to go and partly knowing that he really didn’t have much of a choice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

“This wasn’t part of the deal.” Louis groused, a week later, as he was loading up the family mini-van with far too many bags for a three week vacation. There was a washing machine and dryer there for pete’s sake. Girls. Seriously.   Louis had managed to pack everything he needed in one backpack. He might have to recycle some underwear, but whatever…

His mother handed him another bag, this one a pink fluffy thing that looked like a stuffed pig. He looked at her quizzically; her only reply a slight shrug of the shoulders. “Honey, it’s their vacation too.”

“But, mum!” He could see that there was no arguing with his mother. But, he agreed to take his sister’s for 3 weeks to the summer house, not a bunch of their friends too.

“Louis.” His mother’s tone had a warning edge to it, making Louis bite his tongue.

“Well…how many of them are there?” Louis grunted as he rearranged the bags and random items in an effort to stuff more in the already cramped trunk.

Lottie walked up the path then, tossing a Luis Vuitton knock off at him, the force of it nearly bumping him over on his arse. What the hell did she have in here? Lead weights? “I’m bringing Harry and Janine. Fizzy’s bringing Collette, and the twins are bringing Jamie and Reagan.”

Louis rolled his eyes. He’s going to be running a day care for the better part of the month. “Well, how do you expect me to get all of them there? They won’t all fit in this…this…mum-mobile!”

Lottie snorted and his mum slammed the hatch closed, leaning against it for good measure. Louis noticed an orange sock hanging out, almost like a tail wagging in the slight summer breeze. Great. “Harry’s got his step-dad’s van so he’ll drive me, Janine, Fizzy and Collette. You get the twins and their friends.”

Louis stared at his sister. She was the closest to him in age, only four years younger, and probably the one he got along best with, besides the babies, but they couldn’t talk yet, so… “You’re kidding, right?” He suddenly had visions of insane giggling driving him off the road while obnoxious teeny bopper music blared from the speakers. He was going to die today. Of either embarrassment or over exposure to pre-teen hormones.

The thing was, he had actually started looking forward to the vacation. He was hoping to spend some quality time with Lottie, who was off to university for the first time this autumn. He wanted to warn her and keep her from following his delinquent ways and, well, he also missed her. A lot. He felt like he’d missed out on a lot of her growing up over the past four years. When he really thought about it, he felt like that about all of his siblings. He was just really looking forward to being with his sisters. Just like old times.

Now it was beginning to look like he’d be just as lonely 500 miles away as he was here. They’d all be running around with their friends and he’d be left behind; just there to look after them and make sure no one drowned or got food poisoning. Or whatever it was he was supposed to do as the responsible adult.

“You’ll get wrinkles.” Lottie tapped him on his forehead, where he knew the deep set lines were showing as he pondered his sorry existence.

“Shut up.” He threw back. Not the wittiest reply but he’d barely had any tea this morning and the sun was hot already.

“Lou, you know I appreciate this, right?” His mum said quietly, pulling him aside and handing him the keys and her credit card.

Louis exhaled and gave his mother a soft kiss on her cheek.   “I know, mum. I know. I’m sure it will be fine.” He gave her a weak smile and climbed into the van. She reached out and mussed his hair as he slid his sunnies on, hiding his eyes, hoping she didn’t see the disappointment there.

Louis honked the horn, trying to get the girls to hurry up, just as a battered red van backed in to the driveway directly behind him. It looked like a cross between a soccer mom van and a really dilapidated camper. It was rusty and the bumper was held on by a bungee cord.   He could see a Phish sticker next to a rainbow peace sign in the window. Great. Lottie’s gone and gotten herself a hippie boyfriend. Or her boyfriend’s step dad was a hippie. Which could be equally as bad, honestly.

Louis was glaring in the side mirror as he watched the doors to the van open. Janine, Lottie’s childhood best friend, jumped out of the passenger door and grabbed Lottie in a huge embrace, their limbs tangled and girly laugher floating through the summer air. The driver’s side door opened and Louis’ eyes were drawn, no… _transfixed_ by the tallest, lankiest, yet oddly muscular boy who slowly dropped out of the van; like a raindrop from a saturated leaf. Louis could feel his mouth physically drop open.

The driver of the hippie love machine had to be about 6 feet tall with angular shoulders and a long torso. His legs were poured into the tightest most indecent pair of black jeans Louis had ever seen and he was wearing a ridiculously brightly patterned pink floral Hawaiian shirt, that he had unbuttoned about 3 buttons past decency. The boy’s body was sinful but it was his face that made Louis’ breath catch in his suddenly way too dry throat.

Creamy white skin was framed by loose chocolatey auburn curls that hung around his face and cascaded over the top of his broad shoulders. His face was wide but structured in such a way that Louis was reminded of Greek mythology. Something about the wide planes and strong jaw and cheekbones…As the boy pushed his aviator sunglasses off of his face and on to the top of his head, holding the errant curls back from his wide forehead, Louis could see his wide set almond shaped eyes twinkle in the sunlight.

Louis was speechless. And Louis never lost the ability to speak.

This was his little sister’s friend? Boyfriend? What had she said his name was? Henry? Harvey? Something old and stodgy sounding. He watched, feeling a little like a voyeuristic pervert, from beneath his sunglasses through the rear view mirror as Mr. Sex on Legs sauntered over to his sister and pulled her in to a tight embrace. His long arms flexed and Louis could see black ink running up and down his visible arm. H-whatever-his-name-is had clearly been to the gym more than a few times recently. The muscles in his arms bulged slightly as he hugged Lottie’s tiny frame and Louis could see that his little bum, that popped out from beneath that hideous shirt, was round and defined just like the rest of his long lean body.

Louis gulped. And then realized his dick was filling up in his pants. Right here in his mum’s mini-van while watching his sister’s probably-boyfriend hug said sister. What had his life come to?

Then, Louis was thinking: what the fuck was his mum thinking? This kid couldn’t go with them. Clearly he was up to no good. With a body like that, this kid probably only had one thing on his mind: sex. Which…well…Louis clearly did too looking at him and his endless legs and Jesus Christ, his hands were massive…

Right. Louis had to put a stop to this. He opened the van door and dropped out with a thud, his shoeless and sockless feet slapping on the concrete. He stalked straight to the door where his mother was ushering his sisters outside and got right in her face and hissed, “What are you doing letting that….that….sex kitten go away with Lottie for three weeks?! Have you lost your mind, woman?”

Johannah looked bewildered at her son’s outburst. She stared into his crystal blue eyes, hers practically a mirror image, and blinked once, twice, three times. Then she looked around the yard trying to figure out what he was talking about. Finally, her eyes settled on Lottie and her friends in the driveway.

“Oh! Oh, Lou! You mean Harry?”

“Yes. Harry. What did you think I was on about?” Louis was exasperated. He knew his mother was frazzled and overworked, her mind a jumbled mess most of the time, but usually she was on top of this kind of thing. Did Louis seriously have to do everything?

Louis’ mother laughed, her voice ringing out through the yard. Louis could feel his face flushing, a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Why would she laugh at him? This was serious! Christ, was Lottie even still a virgin? The entire world was going to hell in a hand basket and his mother was standing here laughing like a lunatic.

Louis stood on the porch, hands on his hips, pink lips huffing out angry breaths, and waited. When his mum stopped laughing, wiping at the tears on her face, he looked at her expectantly, not laughing in the least bit. “Well?”

“Lou—it’s just that…” More laughing. Honestly, Louis was pretty sure his mum was losing her mind. “Harry’s…” insane cackling.

“Yes?” Louis tapped his foot, his muscular calves bare under his rolled up jean shorts, his Adidas tank bunched up at the waist, a round stain on the hip from the jam he’d smeared on it accidentally at breakfast this morning.

“He’s gay!” Johannah blurted out just as Harry, Lottie and Janine walked up behind them.

“Who’s gay?” Lottie asked innocently.

Louis spun around on his foot and came face to face with the sex god Harry himself.

And….shit. He was more stunning up close than from 15 feet away and through a mirror; that was for certain. His eyes were what Louis noticed immediately. Dark jade green and intensely staring down Louis from where he stood, and, well, they were….riveting. Harry was riveting. That is, Louis was riveted in place by Harry’s eyes. Harry’s whole presence was doing _something_ to Louis.

“Hi, I’m Harry.” The boy stared at Louis with such keen intensity that Louis felt a bit off balance. At this angle, Louis could see that he was nearly a head taller and so handsome. It was not even a little fair. His face, his body and that smile. It was blinding. But sincere. And really, really charming.

Louis just stared at the large hand offered to him in greeting. He looked from the calloused palm back up to the endless green eyes and down the bare chest of the jolly green sex kitten standing in front of him.

What was his life right now?

“Louis! Don’t be rude! I swear, it’s like he was raised by apes or something!” Lottie tittered at her brother, pushing him roughly by the shoulder, knocking him off balance and out of his trance.

Stumbling, grabbing on to the pillar next to him he stammered. “I’m Lou…Louis.”

Louis gripped Harry’s dry hand and felt the slide of their palms together, Louis’ slightly clammy (goddamnit) and Harry’s firm, strong, oh Jesus, incredibly long fingered grasp . Louis could feel his pulse quickening and wanted to jump up and wrap his legs around Harry’s narrow hips when Harry squeezed Louis’ hand and drawled, “Nice to meet you.”

His voice was magical. Louis thought his ears might start bleeding. Or flowers would grow out of them or something because Harry’s voice was like molten chocolate dripping from a spoon over a fiery red sunset with the sound of the ocean in the background. It was the kind of voice children could fall asleep to and mothers could fall in love with. It definitely was the kind of voice Louis could get used to hearing in bed…from between his legs…or between hot wet kisses…or whispered in his ear as he filled up a certain someone’s tiny but perfect looking arse with his hard, aching dick...

And what the actual fuck was he thinking?

This was his little sister’s friend…operative word _little_. As in younger. How old was this kid anyway? And…despite the age and the sister factor, Louis was going to spend three weeks with this…walking wet dream…no way was he going to indulge in this little fantasy that was spinning out of control in his mind. Nope. He was the responsible adult here. Definitely not boning one of the children…

Oh shit. He was a pervert. A real life perve.

Louis was snapped out of his self-chastising when his mother bumped his hip with hers and whispered, “Lou, you’re staring.”

And he was. And that was…well, embarrassing. But, Harry was staring right back, so there was that. The two of them stood there, staring at each other, while Lottie, Janine and Johannah talked about the weather and all sorts of other inane things that Louis couldn’t be bothered with. Because, here, on his front porch, was a virtual god among men and it seemed, could it be? That they were ogling each other, blatantly, in the mid-morning sun, oblivious to the chatter around them.

Suddenly Louis was surrounded by giggles and the sickly sweet smell of bubble gum lip gloss as his little sisters and their friends starting jumping all around him shrieking that it was time to go and “Come on Louis! Come on!”

Louis jerked into motion. There was driving to be done and responsible adulting to practice. Onward and up. Or whatever.

Louis gave the pre-teens orders to board the bus as he broke his stare from Harry, his cheeks flushed, and not because of the summer heat. After kissing his mother good bye one last time, Louis headed to the car. He could feel a pair of eyes burning through the thin fabric of his t-shirt so he turned around to glance back at the porch. Sure enough, Harry was staring after him, his eyes wide and sort of spacy looking. Who was this kid? Louis noticed that Harry rocked back on his heels wearing these ridiculous gold boots. Who wears boots like that? Why was this kid staring at him like that? Louis looked back at Harry again and felt a flash of lust run through him. The weird thing was that he thought it was being shared. Shared lust? Is that such a thing? And when did the monologue in Louis’ mind start sounding like a really bad paperback romance novel? He seriously doubted Harry was checking him out, or sharing lust with him or whatever. But still…what if he was? That would be…interesting? Weird? Inappropriate?

Louis didn’t know. All he did know is that suddenly his little family holiday had gotten a whole lot more complicated. He directed the gaggle of girls into the mini-van and buckled up. As the van behind him began boarding he couldn’t help but notice Harry, in his super tight jeans, climb into the van. Those obnoxiously tight jeans left very little to the imagination. Louis could see the flex of his thigh muscles through the fabric and the tiny swell of his perfectly round arse. He was pretty sure he saw a considerable bulge, as well. Louis shook his head and prayed for patience. And the strength to practice celibacy. Chasity…whatever you call that thing that keeps you from having sex when you shouldn’t. He would need something to keep him from acting on all that he was feeling toward this unexpected distraction.  

****

About 7 hours later, 1 lunch stop, 2 bathroom stops and probably more Taylor Swift than he’d ever like to hear again, Louis found himself easing the mum-mobile into the long narrow wooded path leading up to his Nan’s summer home. The wheels crunched over the gravel and the air felt cool and damp under cover of the tree canopy overhead. There really was something so tranquil and beautiful about this place.

The sandy soil alongside the drive sprouted all kinds of native wildflowers and the thick shock of trees surrounding the old, solid home were dense and lush, providing plenty of shade against the scorching mid-summer sun. Even the girls who had been chattering excitedly for miles upon endless miles were much more peaceful now. With the radio turned off, windows open, Louis could hear the distant sound of the surf and the soft chirping of birds.

Finally the stone home came into view. Home might be a bit modest name for it.

It was no secret that Louis’ Nan and Grandad were wealthy. They weren’t ostentatious about it and they certainly didn’t spread the wealth around to their children or grandchildren much, but they did share what was theirs and this home was one of the fortunate benefits of their generosity. The home was on over 15 acres and was large and hulking, its sharp peaks scraping the tree line and ornate stained glass windows were reminiscent of a church or abbey rather than a single family home.

The gray stones on the exterior had been washed smooth with time and all of the copper gutters that lined the edges of the house had turned turquoise over the years. Louis had a lot of fond memories of this place. Mostly from when he was a kid, younger than the twins are now. Running about through the woods, catching frogs and finding new paths to explore…swimming in the ocean until his skin turned blue, the smell of the briny sea clinging to his hair and clothes until it was all he could smell anymore. All of the memories from here are happy, all of them before he became such a floundering disappointment.

Louis dropped his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt, sighed and climbed out of the van. The younger girls were jumping about excitedly making their plans for which rooms they would sleep in. The house had 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. There was an indoor and outdoor kitchen space, an in ground pool and a spacious basement rec room with all of the amenities a bunch of kids could want: pool table, dart board, theater style television set up…you name it. There were three sitting rooms, as his Nan called them, throughout as well, but all Louis thought of those rooms were as “the boring places where adults sit and sip tea”. With a start he realized he was the adult on this trip. He’d have to take his tea in the sitting room for once. A little giggle bubbled up and tumbled from his lips.

“What’s so funny?” Lottie said, sidling up beside him.

Louis glanced at his sister and smiled. “Just love being here. You know?”

“Yeah…” Lottie agreed dreamily. “S’ nice innit?” She turned her face up to the sky and smiled, eyes closed tight, lost in her own memories.

“What are we doing? Bird watching?” Harry’s deep voice came from directly behind Louis, sending a shot of pure adrenalin though Louis.

Turning sharply, so he was looking directly into Harry’s eyes (which seemed to match the exact shade of every tree leaf for miles), Louis tried to appear nonchalant. He’d had a few hours to think about how he was going to handle Harry and well, playing it cool was his only good idea. And to not think about getting in his pants. Which, is kind of hard to do when really those pants just kind of begged to be peeled off of his long legs like a banana …or something less…phallic.

Harry stared at Louis with a little smirk on his face and Christ, he has dimples, Louis noticed for the first time. And those hands up close are even bigger than he thought…Right.

“No, we are not bird watching, young Harold.” Louis said, his voice imperious, “We are reveling in fond memories from our childhood.”

Harry tilted his head to one side and studied Louis for a moment. Then, smiling widely, he said, “Reveling? Well…don’t let me stop you.” He pushed past Lottie and Louis on the path to the front door, the skin of his bare forearm touching Louis’ arm for the briefest of seconds, the touch a jolt of pleasure to Louis’ body. Harry was shouldering a back pack and several other girly looking hand bags. He called over his shoulder, “When you are done ‘reveling’ come open the door for the rest of us non-erudite so we can get settled in, will you?”

Louis was certainly lost in revelry. But it wasn’t over long ago summers. Nope. It was over Harry’s arse in those fucking sinful jeans of his. Louis stared from Harry’s retreating bum up to his broad shoulders and back to his bum. Not only is he insanely good looking, he has a sense of humor, a good vocabulary, he also seems to be flirting with Louis. Yet another cold shower was definitely in Louis’ future.  

Lottie laughed at her brother and elbowed him. “Stop staring, Lou, you’ll catch flies. C’mon let us in.”

Louis closed his mouth abruptly and followed his sister up the path, jangling the keys in his nervous hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

About an hour later, everyone settled in their rooms, Louis was taking inventory of the supplies in the kitchen. He’d have to head off to the market sooner rather than later to get provisions. He was still trying to get over what had just happened while they were all unpacking and settling in. There were certain big implications, not including his forlorn cock, and Louis couldn’t begin to figure any of it out.

What happened was this: all of the girls had figured out quickly who was sleeping where, each of them pairing off with their friend to share, disappearing into their respective alcoves of the house. The last room, Louis’ room, up on the third floor, away from all of the other sleeping quarters, was down to Harry and Louis.

As the oldest grandchild, and the only boy, he had always been given this room. It also happened to be the only bedroom in the house not decorated in frilly pinks and purples. It was tastefully decorated, two tiny twin beds pressed up to either side of the room with one small dresser in the closet and a night stand between the two beds. Since this was the only room in the attic, besides the bathroom across the hall, the ceiling was angled sharply so that adult Louis could barely sit up in the bed without banging his head. It was cozy. And quiet, set apart from the rest of the house so it had the illusion of being its own private space. Louis had always liked it up here; it gave him a sense of sanctuary when his loud crazy family became too much for him.

The two of them had stood in the doorway surveying the tiny room for a moment before speaking. Finally, Harry had looked at Louis hopefully, clearing his throat before speaking and said, “I uh…um…I could sleep on a couch somewhere.” That deep voice of his traveling straight to Louis’ groin.

Which. Well… as Louis tried to figure out how he was going to sleep in the same room with this…man-child for three weeks, full knowing he was fairly overwhelmed with a sexual drought and he found Harry to be about the most attractive person he’d ever seen, he still thought that would be quite rude to ask him to sleep on a sofa. He was their guest, after all, and Louis could keep it in his pants for a few weeks, couldn’t he?

Louis looked at Harry’s face, flushed and downcast and felt almost bad for hesitating in the first place. Ugh. Why did he have to be so adorable? Sexy people shouldn’t be able to be adorable too. It was just wrong.

“Of course not, Harry!” He finally conceded. “There’s plenty of room in here.   I mean….we are just sleeping in here, right? No big deal.” Louis hurried into the room, dropping his bag on his bed, the one he always slept on. He flopped on the mattress and watched Harry move slowly into the room.

It seemed everything the kid did was slow. The way he talked, the way he walked. Louis could bet he fucked slow, too.   Slow and even, grinding in and out, stopping to catch his breath every once in a while, biting that sinfully full bottom lip of his.

Little sister’s friend. Not thinking about having sex with him. No matter how hot he is. Nope.

Besides. Harry was just a kid, how much experience could he have? Louis was truly a shameful old man thinking about him like that.

“How old are you?” Louis blurted out, not even thinking about it, his voice loud and almost accusatory.

“Wha..” Harry turned around and sat roughly on his own mattress, his large hands stuffed in his own bag pulling out t-shirts and shorts. Thank god he wasn’t planning on wearing those jeans every day.

“M’ 18, same as Lots.” He finally replied, again with that slow deliberate voice of his. Louis noticed a little rasp to it. He wondered what it would sound like after having Louis’ dick stuffed down his throat.

Deep breaths.

“Hmmm.” Louis pondered. “So, going to college in the fall?”

“Yep. Studying law and social justice. Want to be a civil rights attorney.” Harry started folding his clothing into neat little piles next to him.

Ambitious. Louis was trying not to find that sexy too.

Harry stood up and walked to the closet. “Ok if I take the top two and you can have the bottom?”

“Yeah. I’m fine with either, top or bottom.” Harry spun around, a wicked look in his eye. That smirk was back along with that damn dimple.

Louis realized what he had just said and could feel his face turning tomato red. “I mean…er…that’s not…”

Harry laughed; a loud barking kind of noise that took over his entire body. It made Louis smile. It shouldn’t have made Louis smile. It was obnoxious.

“S’ ok. I’m usually fine with either too. M’ versatile that way.” His voice dropped an octave for the last sentence and Louis most definitely did not feel his dick stir in his pants.

Fuck a duck. Seriously.

Louis stood up quickly, banging his head on the ceiling. “Shit! Uh…just going to go to…uh the kitchen…” He scurried out of the room, seeing Harry peel of his shirt through his peripheral vision and hearing a low soft chuckle echoing down the stairs behind him. This will probably be the longest 3 weeks of his life.

****

Louis had decided to drag Fizzy and Collette to the shops with him, leaving Lottie and the others behind to get the house opened up and to set up the pool. They had decided they’d go down to the beach tomorrow and just cook out tonight and swim in the yard. As they were leaving, Harry had appeared, looking a little flushed and still wearing those fucking ridiculous jeans. He’d taken the fuck me boots off, thank goodness, and was now barefoot. And topless. Seriously topless. What kind of disrespect?

Harry sat on the edge of a kitchen bar stool and stared at Louis. Just stared. It was actually a little rude. Creepy, if you asked Louis. And disconcerting. See, Louis could stare right back. He could. Fuck knows he wanted to. But…this was his little sister’s friend. And he was the _responsible adult_ here. So…no staring. Not daydreaming about Harry’s undoubtedly ginormous cock slipping between Louis’ bum cheeks, teasing him and making him beg for it. Nope.

He avoided looking at the kid altogether.

Fizzy and Collette turned out to be very little help at the shop. They kept throwing all kinds of junk food in the cart and while Louis loved a trans-fat filled snack cake or bag of spicy chips as much as the next guy, he was trying to portray the “you must eat healthy” adult here. So they compromised on for every box or bag of junk food they had to put some kind of fruit, vegetable or whole grain something in the cart.

Louis carefully chose meat to grill, picnic stuff and assorted items to make breakfasts. The girls wanted sugary cereals and frozen waffles and Louis acquiesced. About an hour and a half a van full of supplies, the trio made their way back to the house. Fizzy texted Lottie when they were in the drive and everyone came out to meet them to help carry things inside.

Harry had changed into the tiniest pair of yellow swim trunks Louis had ever seen and was still not wearing a top. It was a lot to take in. A whole lot of Harry. Pale skin. Long limbs. Dark tattoos on his chest, torso and arms. His bare feet were long and bony and fuck all if Louis didn’t want to lick right from the tip of his big toe all the way up the inseam of his leg and underneath his ball sack.

It didn’t help that the shorts left little to the imagination and Harry, apparently, was rather well endowed. As Louis suspected. He was usually right about these things.

Louis let out a frustrated growl as he passed bags off to all of his little helpers, leaving a case of beer and two cases of soda for him and Harry to carry.

“Hmmm. I like the way you’re thinking.” Harry said, gesturing to the beer.

“Well, I’ll need something to survive the next few weeks.” Louis muttered, Harry leaning forward to hear.

“Aw come on, Lou, it won’t be that bad.” Louis could smell the scent of Harry’s skin, so close and it smelled like summer and coconut. And slightly acrid, like campfire or sandalwood. Patchouli! That’s what it was. He knew Harry was a hippie.

Louis glanced at Harry, his eyes wide and teasing, bottom lip between his teeth. “Probably not.” He said, “But just wanted to have a backup.”

“Back up’s good…but I could probably think of a few other ways to make the time pass pleasantly.” Harry’s voice had such a lovely sound to it. But when words like that were tumbling out of his mouth, his voice sounded sort of like the personification of all of Louis’ wet dreams all wrapped up into one long legged specter of a gay man’s fantasy come to life.

Louis stared at Harry. He could almost see Harry’s plush lips wrapped around the long neck of a beer bottle, condensation sliding down the outside of the cool glass as one lone drip slid down Harry’s chin, along his jaw and over his adam’s apple, just begging for someone to lick it off the sensitive skin. All Louis could get out was, “Yeah.” His voice sounded about as uneven as a toad croaking from the bottom of a soupy marsh.

Harry smirked and shouldered the case of beer on one side and a case of pop on the other. Louis lifted up the other lone case, feeling the strain in his muscles, and grumbled, “show off” under his breath, following Harry inside.

Dinner was an easy affair of chicken kebabs and salad with melon for dessert.   Not one lone mushroom or piece of chicken was left. Apparently, driving all day made everyone really hungry. During dinner, Harry stared at Louis and Louis avoided looking at him altogether. It was one of those awkward kind of things that had Louis squirming in his seat. Thankfully, there was plenty of spilled milk and general rowdiness to distract Louis from Harry’s unflagging stare.

Later, after dinner had been served and cleaned up, Louis had proposed and devised a “chore” list of sorts. His sisters complained but the guests were happy to help. Louis thought a division of labor was a good idea for many reasons, most of all because he wasn’t arsed to do it all himself. It was his holiday too, after all. Louis agreed to take the first night of kitchen clean up, to which Harry immediately offered to help.

Good god. This kid. Like a puppy, Louis thought to himself.

They cleared the plates and loaded the dishwasher quickly, talking surprisingly easily to one another. Louis found that Harry was actually pretty witty, despite the unnerving slowness of his speech. The deep timbre of his voice was so soothing, but oddly sexual at the same time. Louis wanted to listen to it all day and wank to it, nap to it, and probably, yes definitely, wank to it again.

“So…where you off to for school in the fall?” Louis asked, conversationally, trying to wipe his mind clear of the wank/nap/wank rotation he was regrettably stuck on now.

“London.” Harry said simply, wiping a dish rag over the countertops, his long arms reaching out effortlessly.

“Hmm. That’s where I…uh…studied.” Louis turned away quickly, putting some clean plates in the cupboard.

It was quiet for a moment before Harry finally said, “Thanks for bringing all of us Louis. I’m sure it wasn’t your first choice for your holiday, so…”

Louis turned to Harry and saw such gentle kindness in his eyes. It was hard to be resentful with such a sweet boy thanking him. “S’ fine, Harry. Really.   No need to thank me.” And he meant it. “Go on! Go out and swim with Lottie and the rest of them. I’ll finish up here.” He swatted at Harry playfully with a dishtowel, Harry sidestepping his playful teasing easily.

As Harry walked out to the back yard, Louis watched the way his shorts clung to his thighs. Sweet, helpful and hotter than the actual sun. Louis breathed a sigh of exasperation and turned back to the kitchen.

The sun was beginning to set when Louis finally jumped in the pool. He could feel the sticky grime from the day sluice off of him in the warm chlorinated water. He floated around for a while, just relaxing until all the shrieking got to be too much for him. Kids were noisy in general, but put them in a large vat of water and it was amplified.

He climbed the concrete stairs at the shallow end of the pool, tugging at his navy swim shorts that were sticking to his wet legs. As he walked toward the outdoor bar, eager to get one of those chilled beers he stocked in there earlier, he felt eyes tracking him. Sure enough, Harry was standing in the middle of the pool watching him. He felt self-conscious, his half naked state suddenly seemed less appropriate than before. He gave Harry a weak grin, which Harry returned with an exuberant thumbs up.

It’s not like Louis was out of shape. He kept up with the girls and played footie when he was in school.   It’s just that over the past few months he’d done less running around and more lying about. Running his hand down his chest, through the sparse hair in the center and across the smooth skin of his belly, he thought all in all it wasn’t so bad, really. Maybe a little softer than before but…Looking over at Harry again, he could see the boy’s wide eyes still watching him. It should have been creepy. But it wasn’t. It was kind of pleasant, having someone watch him like that.

About three beers later and Louis had all but forgotten about how maybe he should do more crunches and less FIFA video games; he was loose and relaxed. The girls were in the pool with Harry, the latter throwing the twins and their friends in to the air and across the shimmery surface. It was after 9:00 pm and the air was cooling down but the heated pool was comfortable. Louis was drifting in that sleep space between being sober and just pleasantly buzzed. His limbs felt light and airy and his mind was blank. He was just enjoying the way the cool air felt on his damp skin and listening to the girls laugh in the pool.

His eyes were closed which is why he didn’t see him before the drops started falling on his bare torso. He opened his eyes and there stood Harry; directly over him with the halogen outdoor light glowing around his head like a halo. He had a goofy grin plastered on his face and was gripping one of Louis’ beers.

Really. This kid. Those beers were meant to be Louis’ and Louis’ alone. They were his security blanket. At this rate he’d need to get another case in a few days the way Harry, Lottie and Janine were guzzling them.

“Hi Lou.” Harry was still beaming with this kind of maniacal look on his face.

“Hi Harry.” Louis said back, skepticism edging his tone.

“Can I sit here with you?” Harry hummed, his deep voice like melting butter on toast.

“Free country.” Louis replied, wincing internally because, really? Who says things like “free country”? People like him, apparently.

Harry was still wearing that smirk, but wider than Louis had seen it yet and, shit, was the kid drunk? Louis must not be being responsible enough if on their first night here one of them got shitfaced on his watch. Harry scooted the nearest chair next to Louis’ so that the metal scraped against the leg of Louis’ chair. Louis raised an eyebrow and watched Harry warily. Harry flopped down in the chair, the vinyl making a slow stretching sound .

Louis noticed that, while wet like this, Harry’s hair extended well past his shoulders. He could also see droplets on his bare chest, glittering against the black ink of his tattoos like diamonds. Louis felt extremely thirsty all of a sudden. His tongue felt thick and his skin felt tingly.

“So, Lou…” Harry started, picking at the label of his empty bottle.

Louis inched a bit away from the warmth of Harry’s body, slowly seeping from Harry’s chair on to Louis’. He drained his bottle and shivered. Probably not a good idea to take advantage of Harry’s inebriated state.

“Cold?” Harry asked, scooting his body closer, their calves touching.

“Yes! Er. No!” Louis sounded like a lunatic.

Harry’s smile faltered and then reappeared, taking over his whole face. He stayed close, which Louis _was_ grateful for. He really was getting cold. “Um…I…uh…wanted to ask you something.”

Louis laid his empty bottle alongside him on the ground and tilted his head toward Harry. He ran his hands up and down his arms, trying to warm himself up. Harry’s eyes grew wider, if that were even possible, and full of concern. “Aw, Lou. You are cold! Here.” He took his oversized beach towel from around his shoulders and draped it around Louis, tucking it in along his sides as if he were a child. He was leaning over Louis, so close Louis could feel his warm breath fanning over his skin, and biting on his lip in concentration. One long tendril of wet spiraled hair dropped on to Louis’ nose, causing him to sputter.

Harry laughed and apologized, “Sorry! Sorry!” He hurriedly wiped his fingertips over Louis’ nose, dropping them to touch his bottom lip.

The air swirled around them, cocooning them in the moment. Their eyes were locked together, sparks flying. Louis tried desperately to push away the fog that covered his mind, feverishly looking for some kind of rational thought. His eyes flickered to Harry’s lips, so close to his own, his long body hunched oved Louis’, and then back to his piercing eyes. He was so open, so deeply honest. It really was so direct in a way; Harry seemed to be looking inside Louis. And it made him forget who he was and what he was doing here. He forgot how to breathe for a moment. The way Harry was looking at him was just…so _resolute_.

Because this was Louis’ life there couldn’t be an innocent beer flavored kiss…no. That couldn’t happen. Not only because it would be indecent, here in front of his entire family, and because he was the _responsible_ adult, for god’s sake, no…there was no kiss because a beach ball the size of Australia hit him in the side of the head, spraying water all over him and Harry, dumping figurative and literal ice water all over the moment.

Harry let out a little shriek, most undignified, and Louis shot daggers out of his eyes, searching for the perpetrator. His eyes found Lottie, standing in the middle of the pool with a devilish grin on her face. He decided she’d have to pay. Pay dearly.

“Hold that thought.” He said impatiently to Harry, whose face fell as Louis bounded out of his chair and quickly ran across the patio to cannonball in the pool. He landed exactly where he wanted, exactly 4 inches in front of his meddling sister. He lunged at her, emitting his most impassioned war cry, and dunked her.

It was all out combat.

All of the girls seemed to gang up on Louis, splashing him relentlessly until all he could see was a wall of water in front of him, behind him and coming at him from all sides. He was yelling for back up in his most loud and commandeering voice.

“Harry! Get in here! I need reinforcements!”

From far away, followed immediately by a giant splash and an impassioned battle cry, he heard Harry bellow, “Aye-aye capn’”.

And suddenly, the battle field was a little more even.

It was no wonder they didn’t lose half the water in the entire pool during splash-a-geddon, but the pool was very much still intact once the water settled. Everyone was splashed out and tired, the littlest girls yawning and laying on the sides of the pool. Louis prompted them to get out and head in for bed. Lottie and Fizzy announced they would help, their friends getting out to join them. Louis looked at Harry and decided right then and there that he was going to bed too. No way was he staying outside with that boy looking at him the way he was.

His green eyes as wide as saucers and red lips, bitten and juicy, were all the encouragement Louis needed. Because if he stayed out here, being lulled by the soft caresses of the warm water and the chirps of the crickets in the brush nearby, he would do something he’d regret. And Louis had had enough regret to last a lifetime.

“Me too! Bedtime for me.” Louis called out, loudly, as if there were a reason to, he and Harry the only ones left outside. “Can you hang up all the towels, curly?” Louis threw over his shoulder, not waiting for a reply, just hoping he could get out of his wet suit and under the covers before Harry got upstairs.

Louis sprinted through the house, nearly wiping out twice on the cool tile floors. He raced up three flights of stairs and barreled into his and Harry’s shared room. He whipped off his trunks and rummaged through his bag for a pair of underwear and cotton pj bottoms. He wasn’t even going to chance a shower. He hurriedly brushed his teeth in the bathroom across the hall and fell into his bed like he was sliding into home plate, breathing heavy, heart beating fast.

He had just enough time to burrow into the pillows and pretend he was asleep before he heard Harry’s heavy footsteps on the stairs. The room was dark, save for the sliver of light coming from the bathroom across the hall and Louis felt like his heart was beating out of his chest. He could hear Harry standing by the door…just breathing.

“Lou?” He whispered, his deep voice barely a ghost of a sound.

Louis clenched his eyes shut. He couldn’t deal with this now. Not when he was so horny and Harry was so hot. Not to mention the age difference. And the obvious fact that Louis would definitely be taking advantage of all kinds of responsible adult type situations here that he couldn’t even begin to list. No.   Best if he avoided the situation all together. When all else fails, avoid. It was a good motto to live by. Had worked for Louis so far.

“Lou?” Harry said again, this time his voice a little louder.

Louis lay perfectly still.

He heard a sigh and the sound of Harry shuffling off to the bathroom. Moments later, when Harry slipped into his own bed, Louis could hear the sound of him moving around to get comfortable. The sound of soft sheets ruffling and Harry’s huffs of breath floated across the small space into Louis’ hyper-alert ears. Louis kept his back turned to the other twin bed and felt like he lay in wait for hours. He drifted off to sleep to the sound of Harry’s soft snores and a semi- hard dick that begged for release.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Why people lived inland was beyond Louis. Seriously. When you could live by the sea? There really was no other choice. Louis was sprawled out on a blanket, listening to the sound of the waves gently lapping the shore and his sisters and their friends all around him, laughing and having fun.

Louis was happy. He was happy he could help his mum and happy to be with his sisters. It sucked that his life choices brought him here, but he could say he was honestly happy in this moment.

He was looking out into the turquoise blue water, counting heads to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for, when he noticed Harry emerging from the sea with a screaming Lottie strapped to his back. She was laughing loudly, urging Harry on, shouting, “Giddyup!”

Harry was beaming. Positively radiant. His large hands were gripping Lottie’s thighs and his broad chest hid her entire torso from view. He was sinfully broad and muscular, water dripping down his body like some kind of a slow motion 1980’s Baywatch episode. Comically, Louis felt his dick perk right up.

Jesus Christ.

As Harry reached their blanket Louis couldn’t help but notice the fact that Harry’s own cock looked fairly interested, straining against his thin yellow swim shorts. And he’d just been in the cold water. If that’s what he looked like after a swim Louis wondered what he looked like when aroused. He had to be hung like a horse.

Harry dropped Lottie on the blanket and flopped down next to her, all gangly limbs and wet curls. He sat conspicuously close to Louis. Louis closed his mouth and turned his body to hide his growing erection. He was going to need a swim in a minute if the situation in his pants didn’t calm down.

“So, Lou, I was thinking about taking all the girls into town later this afternoon to do a little shopping. Wanna come?” Lottie asked, carefully picking through the cooler for a bottle of water.

“Nah. Nan left a list of little projects she wanted me to do while we’re up here. Thought I’d do some of those. But you guys go ahead. I’ll be fine.” The thought of it was enough to have him smiling, eager to be alone for a few hours. He could breeze through a few of the small chores in no time and have some alone time in the pool or on the couch down in the basement. Things were looking up…besides his erection, that is. Speaking of, maybe he could have a wank in peace…get this Harry obsession out of his system.

“I’ll stay and help!” Harry said merrily, as if on cue.

Louis looked at him disbelievingly. Of course he’d offer to help. Everything Louis had seen from Harry so far seemed that he was a generally good guy. The last few days were intensely…awkward? Filled with flirtations and many, many blatant stare-a-thons, but throughout it all Louis was coming to quickly realize that Harry was really a very nice person. He was attentive to the girls. He knew his way around the kitchen. He wasn’t a complete slob. He was funny (told horrible knock knock jokes, but it was endearing as hell and made everyone laugh so…). Lottie seemed to really like him. She had confided in Louis this morning, on the walk down to the beach that Harry had been a really good friend this past year when she had broken up with her boyfriend. They’d gotten close fast and the fact that Lottie had a gay older brother made Harry trust her and open up to her about his issues with coming out. That was, well…nice. Louis was glad they had each other.

But now…with Harry looking at him expectantly and sitting so close to him on the scratchy wool blanket, his gorgeous eyes picking up the blue and green hues from the ocean behind him, and his broad chest spread out before Louis like a meal, Louis couldn’t fathom being alone with him. It was more than the fact that Louis was insanely attracted to him and the other fact that he was, sheesh, 5 years younger than Louis and all the chaperone-y stuff. It was the fact that Harry was a charmer . He was the type of person you could get to know easily, and want to get to know easily. In just a few short days, Louis could see that Harry was the kind of guy you’d want to have in your life. The type of person you could spend a lot of time with. Maybe even the rest of your life with.

And what the fuck was that?

Louis had spent the majority of his adult life, all 5 years or so of it (and really, who was he kidding, he still felt like he belonged at the kid’s table most of the time) avoiding anything of consequence. He failed out of school. He had never had a serious boyfriend. He didn’t seem to be able to find anything he was truly passionate about…he was just sort of floating. For whatever reason, and Louis suspected it would be a really deep dive to name all of the many reasons, Louis wasn’t the kind of person who looked for stability. He actually seemed to be running from it. He didn’t have an anchor. He didn’t have anything keeping him moored to anyone or anything. He had his family, thank God, but little else. It was like, somewhere deep in the recesses of his brain, he never felt he was really _good_ _enough_.

So. He had no business thinking about a kid like Harry in his life or his future. It was laughable, really. And he certainly had no business thinking about fucking around with a kid like Harry. Not here. Not ever. He was just so _young_.

“Louis? Did you hear Harry? He offered to help?” Lottie was looking at her older brother with an expression of worry and amusement.

“Right. Yeah. Just…you should go with the girls Harry. Have some fun. See the sights. Leave me to do all the work. You are on holiday, right?” Louis’ voice was a little rough; he was feeling a bit off kilter by his thoughts and feelings.

Harry hesitated, his bottom lip pushing out just a little bit in a tiny pout. “S’ ok, Lou. I like to help. Besides, might be dangerous leaving you all alone with tools and ladders and other dangerous implements.” He smirked.

“Shut up, you. I’m not that clumsy. Have you seen yourself walk, curly?” Banter was good. Banter kept things light and uncomplicated. Banter was something Harry and Louis fell into easily with one another. Louis threw a grape at Harry, nicking him in the side of the nose.

“Hey! No fair. You have fruit and all I have…all I have is…” Looking around frantically, Harry searched for something to pelt Louis with. Finding nothing he yelled, “THIS!”, and shook his ridiculously long hair out all over Louis like a dog, droplets flying everywhere. Louis could smell Harry’s shampoo or conditioner or whatever he used to smell like patchouli soaked hippies, but in a good clean non-drug addict way, and underneath it, the smell of the sea as it baked into Harry’s hot skin. It was intoxicating.

“You little twerp!” Louis shrieked, scrambling to sit up.  

Harry saw the menacing look in Louis’ eyes and shot up like an arrow and raced into the ocean. Louis was close behind and barreled into him once they got about 3 feet in. The two of them went flying into the waves; Louis plastered to Harry’s back, Harry falling face first into the briny spray.

They came up sputtering and Harry quickly turned them so Louis was in his arms and at his mercy. Harry took several large steps backward so they were at a deeper depth of about 4 feet. The waves were coming in at a rhythmic pace, not capsizing them, but lifting them gently off their feet every few seconds or so. Louis caught his breath and realized he was holding on to Harry’s neck, his toes scraping the sand below with every bob of the water. Harry was beaming, rivulets of water cascading down his face, as he gripped Louis’ hips tightly.

“Harry. Put me down.” Louis said, truly unhappy at the gravelly sound of his voice. It’s just that having Harry’s hands on him was doing something to him.

Harry just smiled. “Nah. Kinda like you like this.”

“Listen, you big oaf, unhand me now or I’ll…I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” Harry teased, tightening his grip.

Louis was flustered because Harry’s lips were so close and his eyes were the deepest color of blue green he’d ever seen and his body was pressed against him at every place possible and it was all too much. “I don’t know what I’ll do. Just put me down.” He finally said, quietly, eyes flickering between Harry’s pink full lips and lovely, lovely eyes.

“I don’t think you want me to do that.” Harry said, his voice a bit rougher than just a minute before.

“Yeah. I do.” Louis said, uncertainty poisoning his voice. Damn Harry and those pretty pink lips and that deep raspy voice of his.

“Really?” Harry whispered, so close now that Louis could make out the tiny freckles skipping across his nose.

Louis just stared and could feel his lips moving of their own accord, forward, forward until he could just about taste what he was sure was cotton candy and autumn cider on Harry’s lips when he remembered. His sisters were on the beach. He glanced toward their blanket and could see all of them staring at Harry and Louis, entwined like two pieces of seaweed, aimlessly floating in the sea.

“Shit!” Louis pushed Harry away and moved away from him. “Harry…I can’t…” Louis started.

Harry looked crestfallen but seemed to put himself back together alarmingly quick.   “S’ ok Lou.” He licked his lips and, shit, was that on purpose? “I can wait. We’ll have all afternoon together.”

Louis stared at Harry’s perfectly sculpted face and the innocent look in his eyes and was about to bark out some kind of witty come back that in no uncertain terms told Harry that nothing, nothing, was going to happen between them when Harry turned abruptly and dove down into the tumultuous water. Watching Harry swim away, all Louis could do was shake his head and stumble back to the beach. All afternoon. He really didn’t know how long he could keep this armor up, protecting himself from the menace that was Harry, his little sister’s friend.

****

Louis peeked through the blinds in the back sitting room. From where he was he could see Harry’s long limbs hanging off the lounge chair. His chest was moving rhythmically, which was a good sign. He was still sleeping. Louis let out a breath of relief. He had about 3 hours to get some stuff done before the girls would be back for dinner and Harry had been asleep since they came back from the beach an hour or so ago.

Quickly assembling his to do list in his mind, Louis scurried outside to rake up some old leaves and twigs in the brush of the front yard. He popped in his earbuds and turned up the music. Today he was listening to a little Pearl Jam. Good raking music. About 20 minutes later, he was really lost in it. He was sweating, the drops running in a steady stream down his spine and at his temples and was thankful he still had his suit on from earlier; he was going to jump right in the pool when he was done. Eddie Vedder was yelling in his ear about Jeremy when he felt strong hands grip his hips from behind. He yelled out and dropped the rake in his hands and would have jumped about three feet if the hands didn’t have such a tight grip on him.

Whipping around and flinging the ear buds out of his ears, Louis faced Harry and yelled. “You could have given me a heart attack, Harry!”

Harry just laughed and squeezed at Louis’ hips. “I was calling you. But you couldn’t hear me…” He nodded toward the buds hanging around Louis’ neck.

“Well, what did you want? And let me go you nuisance.” Louis was petulant. Being embarrassed and scared nearly half to death will do that to a person.

Harry did release his group but stayed alarmingly close. Clearly not a fan of personal space. His smile was wide and dopey and his sleepy eyes were bright and soft. “Came to see what I could do to help.” Louis could see, as close as he was, a fine dusting of baby blonde whiskers on Harry’s cheeks and under his nose. Louis himself had been sporting beard like scruff since he was 18. Harry’s age. If he didn’t shave for a day or two he had a full beard coming in. For a moment Louis wondered what those whiskers would feel like under his lips, his tongue.

“Well grab a rake. Don’t just stand there.” Louis barked. He felt bad immediately for being so short with Harry, but he was losing patience. Not with Harry, really. With himself. He couldn’t help these errant thoughts from popping up in his damn brain when Harry was close; looking at him like that. It wasn’t fair that Harry was so godamn good looking…and nice. And Louis just wasn’t in the mood, ok? He hadn’t had sex or a decent orgasm in fucking months and this kid…Harry…just screamed “do it!” (figuratively, of course) and it was driving Louis insane. So he might have been a little mean.

Harry looked at Louis, just tilting his head to the side a little, examining Louis’ face; his eyes. With a flash of disappointment, Harry walked to the open shed and took out a rake and started working, without speaking or looking back at Louis.

Now Louis felt like an ogre.

Looking at the long lines of Harry’s back and the way his arse flexed along with his arms as he extended his arms to pull the rake through the underbrush, Louis took a deep breath and swiped his sweaty hair off his forehead. “Harry.” He said quietly, but firmly.

Harry turned around, looking hopeful, and Christ. Didn’t this kid ever wear a shirt?

“Look I’m sorry for snapping at you. I’m just…uh….preoccupied.” Louis was flustered, his hands flinging about as he tried to explain himself.

“S’ ok, Lou. I get it. You’ve got a lot on your mind.   What with all of us…and…school and stuff, I guess.” Harry went back to raking, but was still facing Louis, his head hung low, still hurt by Louis’ sharp tongue.

Louis went to Harry and stilled his arm, flexed, hand gripping the wooden rake handle. “No, really. It wasn’t nice or fair of me to take out my frustration on you. And…did you say school?” Louis’ mind was just processing what Harry had said. He talked so syrupy slow that it took Louis a minute to fully understand the words that dripped from his mouth.

“Yeah…Lots told me that you…uh…came home unexpectedly this spring.” Harry twisted his long hair up into a bun, using a band from his wrist to secure the thick waves haphazardly on the top of his head.

Louis looked at him. Really looked at him. Harry was good looking. Louis had already catalogued all of the ways in which he was handsome. But the way he talked about Louis flunking out of college….well, it was so…he said it without any judgement at all. Said it like he was rattling off a grocery list. Which was…huh.

“So you know about what happened?”

“Sure. I hope you don’t mind. Lottie and I talk a lot, you know.” He leaned forward, chin resting on the rounded top of the rake handle. His right foot was crossed over the left leg, barefoot toes digging into the sandy soil.

“Yeah…I know. It’s just. You don’t sound like you think I’m…I’m…a loser.” Louis said, quietly, ashamed to say it out loud.

Harry swayed back and forth with the rake, almost like he couldn’t help it, like there was an internal pentameter keeping time inside his body. “Why would I think that?”

He meant it. His eyes were so open and pure. The words honest and simple. And Louis, well he didn’t know what to do with that. He felt kind of judged wherever he went these days. Mostly by himself, sure, but still….Harry really wasn’t disgusted by him and his lack of drive or direction.

“I dunno. I guess…I just thought…” Louis could feel his cheeks growing pink. The heat of the day and the feeling of overwhelming embarrassment consuming him.

Harry stepped forward, dragging the rake with him, until he was right in front of Louis. So close Louis could smell the suntan lotion on his skin and the spearmint chapstick he was always smearing all over those sinful lips of his. “Lou…I could never think you were a loser. You’re just…you’re _great_.” Harry’s face split into a sparkling grin, dimples out, perfectly square white teeth showing.

Now Louis was embarrassed for another reason. “Harry. How could you think that? You hardly know me.” Louis whispered, lost in Harry’s deep green eyes.

“Sometimes you just know.” Harry said, again, so simple, so true.

“You know?” Louis asked, feeling the heat from Harry’s body coming closer and closer. Louis shivered despite the temperature of the day.

Harry bit his bottom lip. “Yeah. You know.” He dropped his rake.

Louis knew what was coming. He could feel it. And, God help him, he wanted it. He wanted to feel Harry’s plush lips on his own. He wanted to taste Harry; his mouth, his skin. He wanted to feel the hardness of his muscles and the softness of his hair and skin. He wanted all of it. He was tired of fighting it. It had only been a few days but, maybe he just knew…knew he was supposed to want this. Want Harry.

Before he fully let go, Louis had one thing to ask. “Harry, have you been with another guy before?” Because if this was going to happen, it was _really_ going to happen and Louis didn’t want to move forward with any false pretenses or under any assumption that Harry truly knew what he was getting in to. For all Louis knew, Harry only just figured out he was gay. Louis wasn’t ready to be anyone’s first anything.

Harry let the fingers of one hand slip through Louis’ hair at the base of his neck and his other hand closed in around Louis’ hip, the tips of his fingers pressing into the soft flesh there with a possessive strength. “Lou. I had sex with my next door neighbor when I was 15. A guy. Named Cal. I won’t say I’m easy but…when I like someone I’m not afraid to go after what I want. So, yeah, I’ve been around the block a few times.” His lips quirked into a grin, one side tilting up more than the other. His deep green eyes were unwavering.

Louis felt his shorts tighten up as his body responded to Harry’s admission and the way his deep voice rumbled from his throat and floated into Louis’ ear. “So…that’s a yes?” He gulped.

“Uh. That’s a big fucking yes. I’m no blushing virgin here, Louis. I know what I want. And I want you.” The way Harry’s voice rumbled from his throat, deep and low, so certain. It was all Louis needed to hear.

The next second Louis’ lips were on Harry’s and the feeling was like nothing he could ever begin to describe. Harry’s lips were cotton candy soft and wet and slick, sliding over Louis’ like satin over silk. His lips felt like the inside of a puppy’s ear under your fingertips. Soft and gentle, but with this kind of erotic pull to them. When Louis opened up his mouth to let Harry in, he sighed at the unbelievable sensation of it. Harry’s tongue was insistent but so, so, sweet. He tasted like honeyed crystals of pure sugar, and smooth like a good glass of wine. Not that Louis would know anything about that, but he tasted good. And it was really indescribable.

Louis could hear himself moan into Harry’s mouth as Harry pulled Louis closer to him, his grasp firm and unrelenting.   Louis could feel Harry’s growing cock pressing into his hip and it was really just too much. Suddenly Louis had to feel Harry’s skin on his. He had to have all of him. He wanted Harry to fuck him. He wanted Harry to show him what he was feeling and he wanted it now. He needed to be manhandled a little bit. He didn’t want to be in control. He wanted to let go. Really let go and he wanted Harry to be the one to take him there.

Louis broke the kiss, Harry chasing after him, his hands now pressed firmly to his bum, pulling him impossibly closer with his big hands. “Inside, Harry. _Inside_.” Louis panted, tangling his fingers in Harry’s hair.

Harry didn’t hesitate. It was like, now that Louis had finally responded to Harry’s advances, Harry didn’t want to give Louis any time to think about it; to second guess it. Harry dragged Louis inside, Louis stumbling after him, rakes and small piles of yard waste left behind. Once inside, Harry pushed Louis up against the nearest wall and dove back in; claiming Louis’ mouth like it belonged to him.

Twisting their tongues together, the two of them used the cool quiet of the house to finally get their hands on each other properly. Louis ran his hands up Harry’s back, sliding effortlessly with the slick skate of perspiration collected there. Harry used his opportunity to slide his hands into the back of Louis’ shorts. “Fuck, Louis. Couldn’t wait to get my hands on this arse.”

Louis groaned as he felt Harry’s hands span the width of his bum. Harry let out an almost primal grunt as he grabbed fistfuls of Louis’ firm butt. Harry inched several fingertips inward so that they dipped into Louis’ crack, one of them teasing at his rim. And that…that was when Louis officially lost it. Gripping Harry’s hair, having come undone from the messy bun somewhere between the yard and here, Louis groaned into Harry’s mouth. Their kissing had quickly become frantic and messy. Louis head dropped back to the wall as Harry licked and kissed his way down Louis’ jaw and neck. He bit messily in a few places, soothing over the skin with his warm wet tongue.

“Harry… _please_.” Louis was not beyond begging. Not now. Not when his cock was trapped between them and screaming for attention.

“Yeah? Want me to fuck you Lou?” Harry breathed out, rutting his hips against Louis, his hand sliding up Louis’ chest, fingers settling on Louis’ nipples. He rolled the small hard buds in his fingertips, pulling them just this side of too rough, making Louis’ hips stutter and his breathing to come out in ragged bursts.

Now that Harry was actually asking him, offering to fuck him, Louis was faced with a decision. This was happening fast. Almost too fast. But the way Harry’s lips were wrapped around one of Louis’ nipples, flicking out with his tongue and biting teasingly with his big blunt teeth...Well, the decision was actually quite easy to make for Louis, who hadn’t had proper sex in months and couldn’t fathom only exchanging a quick hand job with Harry. Not when Harry was offering. Not when they had the whole house to themselves. Yeah, the answer was easy.

“Yes. Oh _god_. Harry…please.” Louis had lost all ability to be reasonable. He just wanted this fit boy’s cock inside his arse now.

“C’mon babe. I’ve got you. Upstairs.” Harry gave Louis one last searing kiss, gripping his face with those mammoth hands, his tongue firm and unrelenting and so very hungry.

This was an entirely different version of the Harry Louis had come to know over the past few days. Louis thought Harry was a sweet polite kid. Mild mannered, well behaved, helpful…Gorgeous and sexy in this kind of wholesome boy next door kind of way. Flirtatious, but innocent at the same time. This Harry, the one dragging him up the stairs with a raging hard on, the shimmering tan skin and grabby hands, is totally in control; a man who knew what he wanted and right now that seemed to be Louis; a puddle of hormones and incomprehensible moaning, grunting and whimpers.

They got to the landing on the third floor in what had to be record time. Harry turned Louis so that he could peel his t-shirt off of him, simultaneously pushing his swim shorts down to his ankles. Immediately Harry gripped Louis’ dick in his hand, sliding up and down slowly.

“Your cock. _Louis_.” Harry murmured, licking over the shell of Louis’ ear. “S’ _amazing_.”

All Louis could do was whimper into Harry’s neck. Louis felt overcome with sensations. Harry’s tongue in his ear. His skin pressed to every inch of Louis’ skin. His hand sliding over his cock, precome making the slide easier with each pass. The way Harry’s hand gripped him, pulled him off skillfully and almost too roughly, was like finally, finally, falling into the spring lake after a season of drought.

“Harry…come on. Get in. Get _in_ me.” Louis was desperate. His long dry spell was an echo in his mind and nerve endings. So what if he was whining. He wanted it. He needed Harry inside him _now_.

Harry stopped jacking Louis off, only to push his own swim shorts down. When Louis got an eyeful of what Harry carried between his legs, Louis felt his mouth go dry. Shit. Harry’s cock was long, thick and everything a gay boy could want in a cock. Louis _needed_ to get that inside him. Desperately.

“Yeah?” Harry questioned, standing bare in front of Louis as they surveyed each other.

“Fuck. Yes, Harry! Come on. Fuck me.”   Louis rushed forward and grabbed Harry by the back of the head, smashing their lips together. He let his hands run down Harry’s sides, feeling him shiver, until they reached his hips. Reaching around, he gripped Harry’s arse, feeling the rounded globes flex in his palms. Harry’s ass was kind of perfect. In the very near future Louis could imagine pounding into it, Harry’s face pushed into the pillow, punctuated by harsh breaths as Louis fucked him senseless.

For another time.

For now, Louis needed to get fucked. Needed it like the desert needs rain. Fucking now.

Louis pulled Harry into the room, their lips moving over each other wetly. Louis felt like he could kiss Harry for an eternity. He dropped his hand to Harry’s cock and loosely gripped his length, just tickling over him in light motions, teasing more than anything else. Harry exhaled and moaned at the same time, thrusting himself up into Louis’ fist, looking for more than what Louis was giving him.

“ _Louis_.” Harry whined, attacking Louis’ collarbones, pressing deep wet kisses over each ridge, sucking small marks here and there. Louis thought he could play with Harry’s cock for an eternity. Forget kissing. Harry was near wild with the slight toying Louis was doing; Louis could only imagine what he would be like if Louis was working him over seriously.

Frustrated, Harry pushed Louis down on to the mattress, his mattress. “Jesus, Lou. You are so…fucking… _hot_.” Harry was slowly jacking himself off now, his big hand wrapped around himself. Louis forgot to breathe for a moment.

“How do you want me?” Louis asked, breathless, his cock nearing that painful stage as he touched himself, breath catching from how over stimulated he felt. Harry was at the dresser, digging around in one of his drawers. He crossed the tiny room with two large strides, condom and lube in his hand, which…Louis was definitely going to ask him about later (as in, why was he so prepared? Was this usual for him? Expecting to get lucky on a family holiday? Hmmm.).

“Hands and knees. Want you to feel every inch of me.” Harry said deeply, an edge of complete greediness in his voice.

Which was…yeah. Louis could get behind that.

Louis turned and pushed his bum up into the air. There was a moment of complete quiet before Louis turned to look over his shoulder. “Harry?”

Harr was standing alongside the bed staring at Louis. “You’re just so…beautiful. You know that right?” Harry’s voice was low and deep, as always, and so goddamn slow. But there was a reverence to it that gave Louis the chills.

When in doubt, use sarcasm. “Yeah. Yeah. We’re all beautiful. Are you going to recite poetry back there or fuck me into next week?” Louis wriggled his bum around a little. He knew his ploy was successful when he heard a growl come out of Harry and felt the bed dip behind him.

The tell-tale snick of the lube bottle opening could be heard echoing in the little room. Louis was glad for the air conditioning because as it was, he was sweating in anticipation and simply from how hot Harry made him. Harry ran his hand down Louis’ damp back and Louis shuddered. “Can’t wait to be inside you Louis. I wanted this since the moment I saw you. God. I knew you were fit from Lottie’s pictures but…Christ. Lou. I’ve been hard since Monday.”

Louis let out a pleasured hum as he felt Harry circle his rim with one long thick slippery finger. Harry pushed his finger in slowly, not giving Louis a lot of time to adjust, but the smooth glide was _so_ good. Abrupt, but fucking astounding nonetheless.

“Ungh.” Louis groaned, falling face first into the pillow.

“Alright?” Harry asked; his finger still, just pulsing a little, as Louis moaned, the pleasure of Harry’s finger gently stretching him shooting into his curled toes.

“Y…yeah. S’ good Harry. _So_ good.” Louis panted, starting to move himself back and forth slowly on Harry’s long extended finger.

Harry lay over Louis’ back, reaching one hand around to play with Louis’ nipples while the other one began to meet Louis, thrusting deep and soft inside of him. Louis arched his back and pushed his bum into Harry’s hand. It had been a while since he’d had anything besides his own fingers inside him and those, _that_ , was nothing compared to this.

“God. So fucking hot. Your arse, Lou. Wanted to fill you up right there in your mum’s driveway. I knew you’d sound like this when I fucked you.” Harry’s voice hummed in his ear, covering the way Louis’ whining was growing more and more high pitched as he grew more distressed.

Louis felt a tingle run down his spine. Shit. Harry looked innocent but what he was doing with that finger and the words coming out of his mouth were definitely proving otherwise. As Harry pushed in and out a little more forcefully he was driving little breaths from Louis’ body just from the rocking of his body into Louis’ and the pressure of his finger driving inside him.

“Harry…please. Need more.” Louis begged. He wasn’t beyond begging. Not when he could feel Harry’s hard cock leaking on the back of his thigh and arse.

“Right. Sorry.” Harry said politely, slipping a second finger in with the first, almost like he had forgotten he was supposed to be prepping Louis. And, oh. That was…so much better. Louis whined and arched into Harry’s touch more, if that was possible.

“Come on Harry. _Come_ _on_!” Louis’ voice was frantic, the burn a little more evident now but the need to come even more insistent. As the stretch subsided a bit Louis could only feel pleasure and the tight coiling in his tummy. Louis knew he’d be fast. It had been so long. And it had really been so difficult having Harry around him the past few days, it felt like years since he’d had a worthwhile orgasm.

Harry made this noise that traveled through Louis’ body like a shot as he added a third finger and Louis felt nearly split open from the thickness of Harry’s multiple fingers, but he knew Harry’s dick was so much bigger so he took it and tried to relax. Harry had slowed a bit to let Louis adjust but as Louis started blatantly fucking himself back on to Harry’s finger Harry caught on and decided it was time.

“Gonna come for me, Lou? Wanna hear you, babe. Can’t wait to feel you. _Fuck_. Louis...feel so good. Look so good all stretched out…ready for me?” Harry was lining himself up, Louis having vaguely heard the sound of a condom slipping over his considerable length and the squishy noise of more lube being applied liberally.

“Yes. Jesus Christ, just get in me Harry.” Louis was beyond impatient now. He could feel himself clenching around nothing, just aching to have Harry inside him.

When Harry finally pressed inside, slowly, sure and, bloody hell, so thick and long, Louis saw stars. It wasn’t like Louis hadn’t had his fair share of dicks inside him. He had. College had been less about studying and more about partying for him. And partying included getting off with a lot of random blokes here and there (more here than there, to be honest), but…nothing could prepare him for how _good_ it felt to have Harry twitching inside him and to hear Harry’s deep baritone voice moaning all around him.

Harry had completely lost his shit as he began to pump in and out, slow at first and then rough and fast. His voice had gone a whole octave lower and it had risen in volume that made Louis wonder, briefly, how close exactly their neighbors were and could they hear through the closed windows and acres of trees separating them. “ _Fuck_. LouisLouisLouis. _Louis_.”

Louis wasn’t much better. The sound of Harry in his ear and the feel of his hips pressed firmly to his backside and the sound. Jesus Christ the sound of Harry’s balls slapping against his ass was absolutely pornographic. “Oh shit…H…Harry. Yeah. Yeah. Oh. Jesus.” Louis was rambling now and he didn’t care.

Then, just as Louis was getting used to the punishing rhythm Harry had set, Harry pushed in hard and deep and stayed there, grinding his hips into Louis, pushing him further into the mattress. His body was pushing in with these little circular motions that had Louis just screaming out. Louis could feel his orgasm hurtling toward him but a part of him just wanted Harry to stay like this forever, deep deep inside him, nudging his prostrate in the most incredibly powerful way, his limbs weak and the exquisite coiling in his stomach emanating heat from deep within him.

“Shit, Harry…M’ gonna…” And with that, Louis came. He came untouched, just from Harry’s magical cock and he felt like he could come for days. Somewhere in the middle of endless coming, Harry’s hips stilled and his body went rigid behind Louis and he grunted this almost primal sound that made Louis’ dick twitch in interest. As Louis fell into a pool of his own come and sweat, he chastised his belligerent penis for not giving his body a well-deserved break.

Harry fell on top of Louis, slipping out of him and falling to the side. He ran his large hand over Louis’ back, shoulders and arse. He hummed sweet little praises in Louis’ ear, his droning voice deep and pleasant, almost like a lullaby.

“Lou, you ok?” Harry asked, looking into Louis’ eyes as he blinked sleepily, sated and thoroughly pleased with himself.

All Louis could do was hum a small pathetic noise in the back of his throat as he felt the soreness seep into his bum and deep inside him, a pleasant reminder of just how deep Harry could go.

“You good, Lou?” Harry asked again, propping himself up on his elbow, settling one hand on Louis’ full bum and the other on Louis’ head, gently peeling sweaty clumps of hair from Louis’ face.

Louis nodded, unable to speak. Harry had earned the title of fucking Louis speechless. And that was a rare and prestigious honor, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After a fair amount of scrambling for clothing, cleaning of come and stripping of sheets, Louis and Harry greeted the girls downstairs a few hours later. The little girls were excitedly retelling the story about how they were swarmed by seagulls while Lottie looked from Louis’ flushed face to Harry’s dewy face and back again. Louis knew his sister and she was sharp. Not much got past her, much like their mother. The arched eyebrow and quizzical look in her eyes told Louis that she knew something was up.

Louis avoided it. He was becoming a master.

Louis’ arse was sore, pleasantly so, and he had to wear a ridiculous sweater to cover up the love bites Harry left on him. Even so, Louis couldn’t help but steal glances at Harry during dinner.   Harry made omelets and a salad and it was delicious. Every time Louis looked at Harry he would get this buzzy, fluttery feeling in his stomach and his breathing would falter. Harry was just absolutely striking and now that Louis had slept with him he couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

Not that Harry was any better; he kept ogling Louis and finding excuses to touch him. They teased each other through dinner and during clean up, Louis having forgotten about his chore schedule, just easing into the domestic routine with Harry, longing to be near him. Most of the girls found no exception in the flirting and banter, they were happy to get out of clean up duty, but Lottie, astute and observant as she was, kept her gaze flitting between the two of them.

Fizzy suggested a swim and everyone agreed, except Louis, the scattering of hickeys up and down his torso still too fresh to try and explain away. Harry stayed out of the water too, opting to sit next to Louis and talk. They chatted easily, the conversation light and easy as the girls splashed and cooled off from their long day of shopping.  Louis kept blushing, thinking about what they’d done earlier in the day, his arse a subtle reminder as well as the way Harry’s eyes kept falling over his lips, his legs, his hips…It was intoxicating. So easy to let himself fall under.

After a quick swim it was decided that they watch a movie before bed. Harry, of course, plopped down right next to Louis on the couch as Lottie refereed the argument about which movie was better: Finding Nemo or Frozen. Nemo won out, partly because Harry and Louis were louder than everyone else and the girls got sick of hearing them shout “Nemo! Nemo!”

It was chilly in the basement, the air conditioning and sub floor location made it probably 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the house. Louis’ nan had a trunk behind one of the couches stuffed with homemade afghans and quilts. Janine passed a few blankets around and Harry spread a fluffy pink and grey quilt over his and Louis’ lap.

It was quite cozy. Louis could get used to this.

The younger girls started to drift off early on in the movie, Fizzy and Lottie and their friends cuddled up in the seats in front of Harry and Louis, bowls of popcorn resting between them. Somewhere around the time when Dory meets Marlin, Louis felt Harry’s large hand ease over his knee. Louis sat up a little straighter, his dick stirring in his pants.

Louis glanced over at Harry, who is looking straight ahead, not flinching in the least. Interesting. Louis can play this game too. Sticking two of his fingers in his mouth, Louis gently sucked at them, hollowing out his cheeks and licking all around them, getting them soaked with spit. Harry squeezed Louis’ knee and slid his hand up the inside of Louis’ leg until he was hallway up his thigh. Balling his hand in a fist, to keep his fingers wet, Louis wrapped his arm around Harry so he could push Harry forward just slightly. Then, he eased his hand down Harry’s back so that he could slide his wet fingers down the back of Harry’s pants. Easily, too easily, Louis’ slick fingers slid down Harry’s crack until they are flat against Harry’s arse, longest finger teasing at Harry’s hole.

Harry breathed deep through his nostrils, his large hand squeezing hard enough to leave marks. Louis grinned. Harry’s body was hot against his, the heat rising under the blanket almost to the point of unbearable. Louis stared at the movie ahead, giggling when Bruce the shark comes on to the screen, pushing just the tip of one finger in to Harry’s clenching hole. Harry tried to push backward, to stop Louis’ clever fingers from doing their masterful work, but Louis’ strong arm prevents it.

Harry was breathing a little faster now, and Louis can see a drop of sweat roll down the side of his face, despite the cool temperature in the basement. Louis kind of wants to take Harry a part. He wants to make him suffer a little first. He circled Harry’s hole rhythmically, pressing inside just the tiniest bit every so often, reveling in the way Harry’s breathing stutters and the way his eyes widen, in the shadow from the tv screen.

Louis is well on his way to getting hard. If he keeps this up he will have a lot of explaining to do. To his mum. Which wouldn’t be fun.

Time to move their little rendezvous away from innocent eyes and ears.

Clearing his throat, Louis whispers, “Lots? Gonna head up to bed. I’m wiped after all that yardwork today.”

Lottie turns her head and gives him a dismissive wave. Thank god she’s too absorbed in the movie, Louis thinks, otherwise she’d be all over them; wondering why Harry looks like he’s just seen a ghost and Louis looks like he just ate the last piece of cherry pie in the icebox.

“Yeah…um…I’m pretty tired too…” Harry says, his exaggerated whisper a little too forced.

Lottie turns and looks at Harry sharply, her eyes widening in the dark. She looks at Louis, who is just easing out of the comfortable cocoon he and Harry were ensconced in. He raises his eyebrows at her in challenge. If she’s going to say something it might as well be now.

“We are talking tomorrow you two.” She says sternly, looking between the two of them.

Louis feels like he was just given detention.

“Yes ma’am.” He quips, pulling Harry up to standing, Harry gripping the quilt around his midsection so as to not embarrass himself.

The two of them flee the room, glad to be away from Lottie’s accusing eyes. Once upstairs on the main floor, harry breathes out, “That was close!”

Louis doesn’t have time for worrying about his sister. He shoves his hand back in Harry’s pants and presses his finger back to his hole. “Not close enough.” He whispers, nipping at Harry’s neck with his sharp teeth.

Harry hisses and rocks his hips forward, banging into Louis gracelessly. “Come on, you tease.” He says gruffly, pulling Louis’ arm out from behind him and toward their room. Louis grins and lets himself be led.

They are no sooner inside their tiny room that Harry his dropping to his knees in front of Louis. Louis thinks it might be the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. The lights are off in the room, a tiny shimmery shadow of moonlight illuminating Harry’s big green eyes and open mouth. Louis can see his pink wet tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration as he works to get Louis’ shorts off of him.

“Easy there, Harry. M’ dick isn’t going anywhere.” Louis chuckled as he ran his fingers through Harry’s hair, tugging lightly at the strands.

“I know, it’s just that…Jesus, having you near me all night, Lou…S’ driving me crazy.” Harry rasped, his nimble fingers finally pushing Louis’ pants down and freeing his cock. “Wanna suck you off.”

Louis whined, low in his throat as Harry’s lips moved softly over his hardening dick. If Harry gave head the way he seemed to do everything else, Louis was doomed. Because Harry seemed to do everything thoroughly and with great attention to detail. The omelets he made for dinner, for example, were not only delicious, but Harry presented them with a sprig of rosemary and a dash of paprika dusting the plate (“Because not only should it taste good it should look good too”). When he braided the little girls’ hair, he wove ribbons or delicate wildflowers right into the strands because “makes it look fancier”.  He paid attention to detail. Louis was hoping this would translate into his blow job giving skills as well.

“Can I, Lou? Please? Can I suck you off?” Harry asked, so politely, with a desperate edge in his voice.

Who was Louis to deny him?

“Yeah…” Louis stuttered out, because no sooner had the word left his mouth than Harry had his plush lips wrapped around him, sliding his tongue around Louis’ length, making Louis cry out and tug at Harry’s hair even more.

Harry popped off and looked up at Louis reverently. “Lou…have to be quiet, ok? I’ll take care of you, promise. But ssshhh!”

Ordinarily being scolded would kind of piss Louis off, because he was nothing if not an indignant rebel, but the way Harry did it, with his eyes glistening and mouth wet with saliva, his big hands wrapped around Louis’ thighs…well…it was kind of hard to be annoyed at that and it was actually, to be honest, pretty hot. Harry begging Louis to be quiet and promising to take care of him. Louis kind of wanted to be good for Harry. Get him to be proud of him.

Which was strange. Harry was a kid. Louis, a virtual _man of the world_ , or so he thought. But right now, having Harry responsible for getting him off, Louis felt at Harry’s mercy. And he was kind of ok with it.

“Ok, curly. Just get to it.” Louis said softly, a smile in his voice, as he rubbed Harry’s cheek softly with one hand and scratched at his scalp with the other.

Harry hummed and took Louis back into his mouth. Louis groaned under his breath, his hips working to stay still. Harry hollowed his cheeks and sucked softly, sliding down nearly all the way. Louis was bigger than average size. He’s not one to brag, but, hey, he’s seen his share of cocks and he knows his is above average. Not Harry sized, but above average. So he’s surprised when Harry takes him nearly all the way down and doesn’t gag or sputter. Harry slides up and down his length a few more times, almost like he’s getting used to the weight of Louis on his tongue, and then pushes all the way down so that his nose touches Louis’ belly. And that. OH. That feels like pure unadulterated pleasure. Like wrapping up in a warm blanket after being out in a snow storm. It’s warm and wet and tight and just so damn _good_ , it’s all Louis can do to not squeal. Or fuck into Harry’s welcoming throat. Whichever, really.  

Harry pulled off and kept twisting and sliding his fist tightly over Louis’ hard length. “No gag reflex.” He said simply, causing Louis’ mouth to drop open.

Louis can’t say much though because then Harry is bobbing back down, all the way down, swallowing around Louis and sliding back up. He does it again. And again. And again. And keeps doing it until Louis really can’t keep in the tiny little moans that are exploding from his chest. He tries to breathe, he does, but he just keeps sucking in air and whispering, harshly, “Harry. _God_. Harry.” Then, he makes the mistake of looking down at Harry and Harry is staring up at him, his big eyes streaming with tears, shining on his porcelain cheeks, mouth stretched wide and it is just so erotic, Louis feels his orgasm building. Quickly.

Then, Harry takes him down and keeps him there and swallows once. Twice. And on the third time Louis is coming. Harry holds his arse cheeks firmly in place so he can’t pull out and he just takes it. Swallows it all around Louis’ dick, breathing roughly out his nose, small gurgling noises coming from the back of his throat and Louis..Louis just loses himself in it. The pleasure of it.   The way Harry feels gripping his ass so tight, fingers pressing in firmly, throat and mouth taking him in; all the way in….It is almost too much. But Louis let’s himself feel it, all of it, because he’s just come off a really dry spell and there’s no telling when he’ll get sex this good again so…he’s not about to look a gift horse, or mouth, in the…whatever. He’s taking what Harry offers. And he’s so bloody _thankful_.

When he’s finished, Harry releases him and Louis slumps to the floor, boneless and spent. Harry wraps Louis up in his arms, leaning back up against one of the little twin beds, and works to catch his breath. Poor kid, Louis thinks, sounds like he might die from lack of oxygen, the way he’s sucking in air right now. Louis isn’t doing much better. He’s pretty sure Harry sucked not only one of the best orgasms of his life out of his dick, but he also took any ability Louis had to think clearly too. His mind is muddled and he can’t think anything except: _Fuck. That was good_.

“Alright, Lou?” Harry says and Christ, his voice is absolutely wrecked. Raspy and deeper than ever, it makes Louis kind of want to fuck his throat again. And again, because Harry’s mouth is an amazing wonder of the world.

Louis sighs and cuddles up closer to Harry. Harry makes him feel small and safe and so warm. His arms are big and strong and he seems to know how to cuddle Louis just the way he likes. Louis’ never really cuddled with a guy before. He’s more of the “love ‘em and leave ‘em” type. But lying here in Harry’s arms feels like a proper cuddle and he could definitely stay here for a long time.

Harry’s dick has other plans, though. Harry shifts uncomfortably and Louis feels his impossibly hard cock pressing up into his arse. And, oh! Poor Harry. Where are Louis’ manners?

“Harry…come on…let me…” He goes to shift to help Harry find some relief when Harry stills him.

“Lou…can you just? I mean…can I…” Harry’ voice is timid, and hoarse, but definitely bordering desperate.

“What is it Harry? What do you need?” Louis asks, sleepy but intent on making Harry feel good too.

“Can I come on your face?”

Well. That’s…insanely hot.

“Y…yeah…yes.” Louis says, voice broken, because if that’s what it takes to get Harry’s rocks off he’s game. “Where do you want me?”

“Jus’ on your knees. Please.” Harry asks, polite as ever. Louis smiles because, really? Who is this kid? He just asked to _come on Louis’ face_ and he still remembers to be well mannered.

Louis positions himself in front of Harry, who stood up and peeled his pants and underwear off. Louis is face to…face? Face to dick? With Harry’s cock and _good god_. It is kind of miraculous. Louis saw him earlier, felt him, still fucking feels him inside him but seeing him up close like this is…breathtaking. Harry’s cock is probably, on a scale of 1-10 in terms of pretty cocks a 3,000. Louis has never seen anything so majestic or beautiful. He is long and thick and a pretty, pretty, shade of pink. There is one bulging vein on the underside but other than that it is relatively smooth. His whole crotch region is pretty. He is very trim and nearly hairless around and on his balls. His happy trail is sparse and accentuated by deep V lines (which Louis has, of course, noticed before since the kid never wears a shirt). Louis’ mouth is watering.

“Can I?” Louis gestures at Harry’s really hard, really ready cock and Harry gives him a short nod, biting his lip so hard Louis’ surprised he’s not bleeding.

Louis leans forward and just takes the tip in his mouth, swirling his tongue. He tastes the salty, thick, yet surprisingly sweet taste of Harry’s come and savors it. He teases the head with his mouth and tongue and explores further by pressing his tongue into the slit. Harry grunts and barely gets out, “Louis!” and he’s coming.

Louis at least has the presence of mind to tilt back so that Harry can finish himself off by loosely fisting himself quickly, thick ropes of come splattering on Louis’ cheeks, lips, chin and eyelids. Louis closes his eyes and opens his mouth slightly, which has Harry keening and jacking off quicker.

After what feels like forever, Harry finishes and stoops down to wipe Louis’ eyes with his t-shirt. Then, Harry kneels in front of Louis and scoops some come from Louis’ cheeks and offers his fingers to Louis. Louis’ eyes open wider because this may be one of the filthiest things he’s ever done but he doesn’t care, so he sucks Harry’s fingers into his mouth and repeats the actions of his tongue from just moments before, sucking and swirling his tongue, tasting Harry’s come and fingers together. Harry moans at that, the sound traveling through Louis’ ears and directly into his bloodstream. It sounds like rapture to Louis and he wants to hear it again and again.

Harry removes his fingers and grips Louis’ face and kisses him hard, tongue pressing in to his mouth desperately, the taste of his come diluting with their shared saliva and desire. Harry kisses Louis breathless and when they finally stop, panting and their faces sticky with Harry’s come and their shared sweat, Harry whispers, “Thank you.”

Louis drops to the floor with a dopey smile on his face. “You’re welcome.” He says, dreamily, licking his lips and feeling sated and so warm. Harry goes to the bathroom and gets a warm washcloth and returns, pulling Louis up to his bed so he can wipe his face and chest clean. Louis just folds into Harry’s touch and lets him care for him like a child. Tossing the cloth into the hamper, Harry pushes Louis into the bed.

“Good?” He whispers, smiling gently down at Louis.

Louis can barely keep his eyes open when he responds, “So good, Harry. So good.”

The last thing he remembers is Harry crawling over him, pressing his nose to Louis, sharing his breath and wrapping his arms around him tightly; so warm and comfy, Louis falls asleep fast and hard, just like his mind and body for this beautiful curly haired boy pressed up next to him like a missing puzzle piece. It feels kind of perfect. In every way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading and sticking with this!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

“Lou. Lou?”

Louis hears the most sexy alluring voices he has ever heard in all his life. And it is calling him. Saying his name. What a good dream. Louis wants to find the owner of that voice and shove his dick down his throat.

Oh! Wait.

Louis’ eyes pop open and he is face to face with bright green eyes and a wide goofy grin, accentuated by boyish dimples. Harry.

Harry’ hair falls over his face and cascades down around Louis’ head. It covers the two of them like a curtain, keeping the bright light from blinding Louis. “Wha…What time s’ it?” Louis wondered, his voice still sleepy with a little foggy croak in it.

“S’ nearly 10:00 in the morning.” Harry said, smiling even more broadly.

Louis groaned. All of his sisters must be up already. He shifted a bit in the bed, Harry still looming over him. “Did we sleep together in this…tiny little bed?” Louis wondered, running his hand over his stubble. Probably going to have to shave today. He couldn’t remember the last time he had shaved so that probably meant he was past due.

“Yup.” Harry said cheerfully, his long lashes sweeping over his cheeks. “And we had sex yesterday.” His voice sounded triumphant. “Twice.” He was just gloating now.

“Correction.” Louis said, moving over a little so Harry could slide alongside him. “Sex is penetration. We had sex once yesterday. You gave me the best blow job of me life and I let you cover me in your…love juice.” Louis quipped, not looking at Harry, just staring up at the ceiling. He could feel Harry staring at him. He was awfully cute in the morning.

“Hmmm.” Harry hummed, ducking his head down to kiss Louis’ neck. Louis craned his head away so Harry could reach better. “I penetrated your arse. You penetrated my mouth. Details. We had sex. And I’d very much like to have more of it. Both the penetrating and non-penetrating type. M’ not picky.” His voice was low and husky as he spoke, punctuating each sentence with a series of licks and wet kisses all the way up Louis’ neck and jawline.

Louis let out a strangled moan, getting caught in his throat as his morning hard-on became more persistent. “Yeah? Would you?” He wrapped his hand in Harry’s curls, gripping a fistful and pulling a little on the hard side. Harry moaned even louder, the sound of it shooting right to Louis’ dick.

Harry pulled himself up and on top of Louis. “Not much room here.” He whispered, indicating the dropped ceiling above him. “Gonna have to stay right here. On top of you.” He grinned, licking into Louis’ mouth.

For a moment Louis panicked about morning breath but then he realized Harry had it too and if Harry didn’t mind…They kissed each other passionately for a few minutes until Louis broke the kiss and rocked his hips up.

“About this ‘having more sex’ thing…” He cradled Harry’s face in his hands and pulled him in for more searing kisses. Harry really did have an amazing mouth.

Harry slid his body in just the right way so that their cocks lay alongside each other, the silky soft skin rubbing against one another as they ground up and down into each other. “You’re so hard, Lou.” Harry whispered into Louis ear, his deep gruff morning voiced full of wonder, causing Louis to arch his back off the bed.

“Had a really fit boy sleeping in m’ bed last night…” Louis hummed, gripping Harry’s tiny round bum, pulling their cocks more firmly together.

Harry whined low in his throat. “ _Fuck_.” Louis didn’t have time to think about or process how he was fucking his little sister’s friend or how he probably shouldn’t be doing any of this because he was supposed to be a responsible adult…no, he didn’t think any of that because his dick was starting to throb and he could feel a thrumming urgency fizzing through his brain and nerve endings. Harry’s voice in his ear and his cock pressed up against his had turned Louis into a frantic mess. He needed more, more, more. More of Harry. More of this deliriously good drug Harry was selling in the shape and form of phenomenal sex.

Louis rolled them over, carefully, so as to not capsize them over the bed, or hit his own head on the low ceiling overhead, so he could lie on top of Harry. “Come on Hazza. Put those big paws to use.” He murmured, leaning over to suck one of Harry’s perpetually hard nipples into his mouth. Harry rocked his hips up even harder, his body responding to Louis in the most perfect way.

“Hazza?” Harry muttered, reaching between the two of them under the sheet to grip both of their hard leaking cocks in one hand, eyebrows shooting up at the unfamiliar nickname.

“Hm. S’ a good nickname. Harry’s just so long. Like your cock. Fucking get us off, Hazza. _Now_.” Louis demanded, fucking into Harry’s fist.

Harry moaned and swore, pulling Louis’ mouth down to his as he began to pull them off together. The press of their lips to one another’s was demanding and lacking in finesse but it was still scorching and so good. Harry’s hand slid over the two of them effortlessly, light little tugs with soft finger tips. Louis was getting impatient, he needed more.

“Jesus Christ, Harry, I said get us off, quit fucking around.” Louis huffed, pulling Harry’s other nipple into his mouth. He bit down, just enough to tear a cry from Harry’s body.

“ _Louis_!” Harry writhed, seemingly turned on by the little bit of pain administered by Louis, pre-come blurting out of his head.

“Like that, babe? Hm?” Louis whispered, soothing over the tender bud, perky and red now.

Harry’s hips rocked up, his cock sliding against Louis’ roughly, his hand tightening over them, moving more quickly. “Y..yeah…”

Louis smirked and did the same to the other side, finishing off the bite with a harsh suck. Harry arched his back deliciously, his long lanky body pushing Louis up and down with the movement. Harry wrapped his long legs around Louis’ legs and wanked the two of them in earnest now. Louis could feel their pre-come mixing and making the slide easier. Up and down, over their heads, Louis’ lower than Harry’s, yet Harry’s hand flew over them with practiced ease, slight flicking of the wrist and then back up and down again.

“ _Harry_.” Louis whined, “Ngh….Gonna….”

“C’mon Lou. Come on. Come for me. C’mon babe.” Harry’s husky voice was deep and low in Louis’ ear, encouraging him and pushing him forward.

That was it. Louis was coming, Harry close behind. Harry worked them through it, their come mixing on their bellies. Louis collapsed, his arms shaking from holding himself up. Harry ran his hands over his back, soothing the taut skin. He clasped them over the small of Louis’ back. He whispered, “Give me a kiss, then.”

Louis leaned up on Harry’s chest and smiled down at him. Harry really was beautiful in the morning. Who was Louis kidding? He was beautiful anytime, but the soft mid-morning light made his slightly puffy eyes a light shade of spring green. The lines on his face from the bedsheets made him look younger and more vulnerable than usual. Louis sighed and put his head on Harry’s chest. He really couldn’t process what had happened over the past few days. He went from chaperoning a bunch of kids on a summer holiday to having some of the best sex of his life with a kid barely in university.

This “kid”, as Louis couldn’t stop thinking of him, was endearing, kind and _shit_. So sexy. So compatible with Louis. It was almost chemical, hormonal, the way they connected. There was a lot Louis wanted to explore with Harry but he also didn’t want to lead him on. Harry was off to start his future in a few short weeks and Louis…Louis was still stuck in his past, no future, no real prospects. Harry deserved better than that. Louis didn’t want Harry to think there was more to this than sex. He needed to talk to him about it.

“Haz?”

Harry’s voice was sleepy and even slower than usual. That was another thing. That slow deep voice. It was really out of this world. It put Louis on edge. It made him want to do things…do things to Harry. No one’s voice should be that incredible. “Hm?’

“So…I was…We…” Louis tried and stopped, not sure of how to say, I like you but shagging is pretty much the extent of what I can offer you right now; nothing more. How do you say something like that without hurting someone’s feelings?

“I knew it!” Lottie’s shrill voice, so much like their mother’s rang out in the quiet little room.

Harry jumped up, knocking Louis off his lap, their skin sticking together in that sickly way that happens when something sticky starts drying, nearly adhering the top layer of their skin together. Louis comically bounced up and hit his head on the low ceiling and bellowed “Fuck!” Which actually came out like and elongated whine that sounded like: “Foooook.”

“Sorry, Lou. Oh god. Sorry Lots. Shit. Sorry.” Harry was mumbling like a madman, Louis was rubbing his head and Lottie was averting her eyes.

“Jesus Christ—cover that shit up, will ya?”

Louis looked down at their crotches, softening penises covered in flaky come just hanging out. In front of his sister. Oh lord. Harry hurriedly grabbed the sheet and covered them. “Lottie…” He started.

Lottie put a finger up in the air to silence him and walked to the still made, unslept in bed across from them, sitting on the edge. She looked at them, finally, her face a mixture of hysterical amusement and utter horror. “I knew you were fucking. I knew it!” Then, much to Louis’ amazement, her lips tilted in a small smile. “Harry! Why didn’t you tell me? And Lou…”

Harry went to stand up but then remembered he was naked so he stayed put. “Lots…we didn’t…”

Louis finished for him. “Lottie. This just happened. Yesterday. S’ not a big deal. Just messin’ about. Nothing serious. Ok? No need to freak out.” Louis could feel Harry staring at him but didn’t look. He was afraid what he might see in his eyes. “Honestly, Lots, just two guys blowing off a little steam. No strings. Really.”

“I don’t care if you’re messing around, Lou! You two are my favorite people in the whole world! I was hoping you would get together. I’m just mad that neither of you told me about it.” Lottie yelled out, excitement now crowding her pretty face and high pitched voice.

Harry smirked and Louis stared openly at his sister. “So…you’re not…mad?”

“No! Dufus. I’ve been planning your wedding and the names of all your little babies for over a year now.” Lottie stood up and smoothed down her shorts, grinning wildly at the two of them. “I don’t need details. Just had to come up here and confirm it for myself. Now. If you two are quite finished, the rest of us are going on a hike. We are leaving in 15 minutes. Get decent.”

Then she was gone.

It was quiet in the little room. Uncomfortably so. Lottie bursting in on their post coital bliss was a bit intrusive. Also…she’d been planning the two of them hooking up? What was that all about?

Louis fixed his hair and took a sniff of his armpits. “Guess we’ll have to shower.”

Harry wouldn’t look at Louis, his voice quiet. “Yeah. Guess so.”

Louis looked at him quizzically. He wondered idly if he was bothered by his sister finding out about them or about Louis’ nonchalance. Or maybe it was over that last comment Lottie made about the babies? He couldn’t be sure. But before he could ask, Harry was walking toward the bathroom, his bare arse clenching and releasing with each step. Louis took a deep breath. How could someone be so completely good looking? It really wasn’t fair.

****

Whoever thought hikes were a good idea was a bloody idiot.

Louis is sweaty. His hair is plastered to his face. He’s gotten bit by more mosquitos than he can count and there are these little flying gnat-type bugs flying up his nostrils and in his eyes. The sun is blazing and of course, his family chooses the path with no shade.

Fucking shit, hiking is.

Harry is up ahead, holding hands with one of the little girls. He looks broad and muscular, his thighs flexing in their cut-off jean shorts with ever step, a thin strip of wetness down the middle of his back where sweat had soaked through his tank top. His hair is up in one of those damn buns he always wears. It makes his neck look long and graceful, like ballerina’s, Louis thinks and then he laughs. Because, picturing Harry doing any kind of ballet dancing is laughable. He’s long and lean, sure, but grace is not really a part of his repertoire.

“What’s so funny?” Lottie asks, swigging from her water bottle as she comes up alongside him.

“Hm? Oh…just thinking funny things about young Harold up there.” Louis mused, his nose crinkling because suddenly it smells really foul out here. Like livestock. Or skunks. Or other living crapping things that shouldn’t be smelling up Louis’ air. He held his breath dramatically. Subtlety has never been Louis’ strong suit.

Lottie straps her bottle on to her belt loop (when did she become such a proper hiker with gear and everything, Louis wonders?) and looks over at her brother. “I meant what I said earlier, you know.” Louis arches an eyebrow. “About being glad you and Harry are together. I think he’s good for you. Think you’re a good match, you know?”

Louis smiled at his sister. She’s really sweet for thinking about him like that. “Thanks, Lots, s’ just that Harry and I aren’t together. At all. Just messing around.” He put one foot in front of the other. Seriously, when would they be done with this torture? Hiking sucks. And not in the good way.

Lottie paused and put her hand on Louis’ forearm. “Don’t do that.”

“What?”   Louis asked indignantly.

“That. That thing where you pretend you don’t care.” Lottie spat out, her blue eyes flashing.

Louis feigned confusion, even though he knew what she meant. “I don’t know what you’re on about, Lottie. Really.”

Lottie exhaled, blowing a frustrated breath in her brother’s face. “Lou.” She searched Louis’ face for understanding. Not finding it, she continued. “You did it when you came home from school. Like it didn’t matter. Like you were too cool for uni. Like you weren’t upset about it at all. I know that’s not true. You were devastated when you got kicked out. I don’t think you’ve really faced it. And…”

Louis was getting angry now. How dare Lottie think she knows what Louis’ been thinking or feeling? It’s not her business. And, not to mention, she’s meddling with his whole avoidance technique. And this has nothing to do with school. “Charlotte…” He gave her a warning. She chose not to take it.

“And, here’s this guy, this absolutely brilliant guy, right in front of you and you are pretending like it doesn’t matter. Like he doesn’t matter.   Louis Tomlinson, you are one of the smartest guys I know and you are acting like an absolute dumbass right now.” Lottie was furious. Her face was crimson red and her mouth was set in a firm line, the words hanging in the humid air between them.

Louis was speechless. What could he say? She was right. But there was no way in hell he was going to admit that.

“Stay out of it, Lots.” He said, his tone biting and his eyes bright with anger.

“Yeah. I’ll stay out of it. Shoulda stayed out of it when I invited him. When I was actually looking out for you!” With that she spun on her heel and ran ahead to catch up with the others, leaving Louis behind looking and feeling bewildered.

Well, fuck. Now Louis was hot, tired and pissed off. He pushed himself up a sodding hill, huffing and puffing, lagging behind the others. He couldn’t wait to get home and get in the pool. And drink a beer. Or three. Maybe he should run to the shop and pick up provisions for something stronger. Vodka tonics, perhaps? Some limes. Lots of ice…

Shit. Lottie had invited Harry purposely to set him and Louis up.  

What was he supposed to do with _that_ information? Did Harry know? Did it matter? Was this a get Louis laid mission? Or more? Get Louis a husband? Jesus Christ. What had the two of them done? Feeling like he’d been manipulated, Louis trudged up the path. Fucking hiking. Louis was ready to call it a day. A year even. He couldn’t wait to get back to the house and unwind. Unwind and avoid his life some more.

****

Louis and Harry were definitely avoiding each other. There was no question about it. After several hours back at the house, the two of them have barely said a word to each other. Lottie looked beside herself with anxiety and Louis, Louis was a bundle of nervous energy. He’d finished the case of beer and was digging around in his grandfather’s desk for a pack of cigarettes. He knew his grandad smoked sometimes, when Nan wasn’t around to censure him. He just had to find them…

“Lou?”

Louis looked up and saw Harry standing in the door. He looked bashful and so painfully young; his yellow swim trunks tight around his thighs and threadbare white t-shirt hanging off of one shoulder. Closing his hand around a crumpled pack of Winston’s, Louis stood up and watched Harry carefully.

“Hey.” Louis could see that Harry’s eyes were furrowed so that a deep crease showed between his eyes, dividing the lower half of his wide forehead. He was biting his lip and his hands were clasped behind his back.  

“Can we…uh…talk?” Harry’s baritone voice echoed in the study. Louis nodded and sat on the plush velvet couch in the center of the room. Louis knew for a fact that when Nan was out grandad opened the windows in this room and smoked like a chimney. He could see a few small burn marks on the soft fabric; little black amoebas in a red sea of polyester.

Harry sat across from Louis on a leather club chair. There was a silver plated tray on the ottoman between them, complete with a crystal bottle of brandy and two snifters. Louis felt like he should be wearing a satin smoking jacket and maybe lighting up a pipe instead of wearing cut off shorts and a Harley Davidson tank top, rolling a cracked cigarette between his fingers. “Do you mind?” He asked, gesturing at the cigarette.

“No. S’ ok.” Harry said softly.

Louis lit the cigarette and took a long drag, the calm seeping into his body as the smoke swirled around them. He looked expectantly at Harry. It seemed Harry had something on his mind, the way he was shifting in his seat. Louis waited him out, content to smoke and try to soothe the tension coursing through his muscles.

“So…I haven’t exactly been honest with you.” Harry began, drawing his full bottom lip between two fingers. Louis could see just the tips of Harry’s top teeth behind the fullness of his top lip. God, he wanted to kiss him right now.

“Oh?” Louis took another drag. He tucked a leg underneath him, his feet bare and the fabric soft on his skin.

Harry released his lip and passed a large hand over his eyes. “Yeah….I, uh…I kind of had a…I don’t know if _crush_ is the right word…but I…” He huffed out a frustrated breath, his green eyes meeting Louis’ widening blue ones.

Louis leaned forward and dropped the cigarette in his near empty beer can. He really wanted to take a swig out of that brandy decanter. Restraint, he reminded himself, is a virtue. Or it should be. Whatever it is or isn’t, Louis’ never been good at it. “Haz. What are you trying to tell me?”

“I’ve just…Lottie’s told me a lot about you and I’ve seen your pictures, ok? And you’re gorgeous. And I made Lottie show me an embarrassing number of home videos and even some of your insta posts. And…shit…Lou. When Lottie asked me to come on this trip I…I jumped at the chance to get to know you. And I never dreamed…that we’d…uh…you know.” Harry’s cheeks were a beautiful shade of flower petal pink and Louis could see how his long body was coiled in on itself. The poor lad was just one breath away from completely falling over from sheer embarrassment.

Harry stood up and paced the room, stalking beside the large floor to ceiling oak book shelves, running his hand absentmindedly through his long wavy hair. “So yeah…I met you and you were so much more wonderful than I ever imagined and I…” He stopped, mid stride and faced Louis. “We had _sex_ Louis, and it was amazing sex. Really fucking amazing sex. And I…look, I’m not good at casual. Never have been. If I do something it’s kind of all the way. So…you told Lottie we were just messing about, no strings and all that, and well…that wasn’t my intention. So…yeah.”

Louis took in Harry’s slow ramblings, trying to piece together what he was saying. “So, you had a crush on me and wanted to come on this trip to what? Get to know me? But having sex wasn’t part of your plan? Because you kind pursued me. Not the other way around. Right?” He couldn’t help the aggravation that had creeped into his tone.

Louis stared at Harry and Harry looked everywhere but at Louis. Had everyone gone crazy? It was like Lottie and Harry were ganging up on him devising this little fantasy to get Louis a boyfriend. Louis wasn’t boyfriend material. He was just some loser who failed out of school and lived with his parents and would probably die living in his parent’s house. What was Harry even going on about?

Harry stopped pacing and stood across the room from Louis, his hands hanging limply at his sides. “Yeah…I know I might have come on a little strong but…you didn’t exactly put up much of a fight.” He sounded defeated, but there was still a hopeful lilt at the end of his statement. “And I…I like sex, ok? _A lot_. But, I don’t just sleep with people to just have sex. I sleep with people I really like. And I really like you, Louis.”

Louis thought about it. It’s true. He pretty much had a hard on for Harry since he saw him get out of that ridiculous hippie van of his. He tried to resist. But again, restraint has never been a strong personality trait of his. Example A, B and C: the empty case of beer, cigarette hanging from his mouth and sore arse. Also, Louis liked sex too.   A lot. Who doesn’t? But where they were different was the simple fact that Louis didn’t have to like, or ‘really like’ someone to have sex. Back in college he didn’t even know half of the guys’ names he hooked up with, so…where does that leave them?

Louis took a deep breath and looked directly at Harry, trying not to get distracted by his full head of wavy hair and his bitten red lips or the way his beautiful green eyes reflected the light coming through the heavy lead glass windows. “Harry. Look.   I like you. You are insanely hot. Your dick is a thing of magic.”

Harry blushed and ducked his head and Louis was pretty sure he saw said magical phallus twitch in those stupid canary yellow shorts of his. “But…you are going to uni in a few weeks, yeah? And I’m just….kind of….lost. You don’t want me to be someone you ‘really like’ or anything remotely close to a boyfriend.” Louis paused, letting his words really settle over Harry; giving him a chance to see what Louis was saying. Harry looked like he wanted to argue but Louis put his hand up to stop him.

Getting up so he could walk closer to Harry, because it just was too hard to be in the same room and smell him, touch him, feel his warmth…. “So…we can enjoy ourselves on holiday, right? Have more of that, what was it you said, ‘amazing sex’ and kind of…just be together, you know? You’ll see, no strings is best. Best for us, best for you. Trust me on this.”

Louis studied Harry’s face. Shit. He was beautiful. Today’s hike had added another layer of golden tan to his skin and his eyes were that much brighter because of it. Harry rocked back on his heels and, Christ, his dick really was huge. Louis could make out the outline of it, still fairly soft, mind you, in his shorts. It would be a shame if Harry didn’t take Louis up on his offer. Louis might cry from frustration, or throw himself off a cliff or something equally dramatic if he didn’t get to have that dick inside him again.

“Yeah. Ok, Lou. If that’s what you want.” Harry’s voice was slow, as usual, but the slowness this time sounded like lack of excitement at his agreement to Louis’ request. He didn’t quite look at Louis when he said it, and when he did finally glance at him through his lashes, Louis could see that the small smile on his soft lips didn’t quite reach his eyes. Louis reached out and ran his hand through Harry’s curls. Harry leaned into his touch unconsciously.

It was ok, Louis thought. Harry would adjust. And he’d see, in time, that he really dodged a bullet not getting more involved with Louis. He’d be better off. Louis was doing him a favor, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you! Thank you! Let me know what you think...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

It had been exactly 36 hours since Harry had touched Louis’ cock. 36 long tortuous hours. Hours and hours of watching Harry’s smooth muscles in his back bunch and flex while playing volleyball with the girls in the sand. Hours and hours of watching Harry eat and drink with that obnoxiously attractive mouth of his. Hours and hours of seeing Harry’s long bare legs stretch out in front of him while he was trying to walk (yes, _trying_ , because the boy seemed to have trouble just walking, for god’s sake). It was driving Louis up a wall. His dick wasn’t faring much better.

Too bad Louis (and his dick) had ever experienced Harry’s orgasm giving powers. It was making it really hard to function around him.

Lottie, Janine, Harry and Louis were all sitting around the fire pit behind the side yard near the green house. Lottie had procured s’more necessities and Janine had produced a large pitcher of sangria, doctored up with organic local fruit that Harry had bought at the farmer’s market.   Louis was tipsy, sticky and well on his way to having blue balls.

Harry was licking sticky marshmallow off of his middle finger, sucking the digit wickedly into his mouth, his godamn lips pursing around it like it was his last meal. It was really starting to piss Louis off. Janine was in the middle of some story about the time her parent’s caught her watching porn on the family computer.

“Neenie! My ears! You are seriously like my little sister. Don’t tell me about how you watch internet porn! I can’t take it!” Louis whined, his raspy voice carrying over the fire and into the woods beyond.

“What?” Janine asked; brown eyes wide and innocent. “Don’t think your little sister gets off? Well…Lou…have I got some stories for you.”

Louis tossed a graham cracker at her and practically yelled, “Lalalalalalalalala. I can’t hear you!” as he stuffed his fingers into his ears.

Everyone laughed and fell into a comfortable silence, all of them staring into the fire. What was it about cool summer nights and the glowing embers of a fire that made Louis feel almost melancholy? It reminded him of his childhood and his lost innocence. Made him think of how he was floating in abyss, not sure if he was moving forward or backward, stuck in time.

Glancing up, he found Harry staring at him. His legs were spread wide and his large hands were resting softly between his legs, fingers curled inward. The soft firelight cast shadows over his torso and face and his eyes were glowing. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and palmed himself subtly, so subtle only Louis caught it and it pulled the breath right from his lungs. Even the slightest movement from Harry, something so small as a flex of his palm, and Louis was already imagining things…naughty things…that he’d like to do to Harry.

Harry stretched out in his camp chair and yawned. “Think I’m going to head up to bed guys. I’ll bring in this trash.” He bent over, his bum directed at Louis, and picked up a small bag of wrappers they’d been collecting.

“Harry, can you bring in the chocolate and marshmallows too?” Lottie asked, gathering up the items and handing them over to him.

“Course.” Harry took everything in one giant hand (Christ) and ambled toward the house.

Louis stared after him and crossed his legs, willing his semi to behave. He sipped his sangria and stared at the fire. He looked up when he felt 2 sets of eyeballs scrutinizing him.

“Well, go on then. You know you want to go.” Lottie teased.

“Wha? No! No…just going to sit here and enjoy the company of my sister and her friend. Not going anywhere.” Louis played it cool. Well done.

He was still congratulating himself when Janine giggled, “Tommo, we can see your dick from here. Go get yer boy. That situation isn’t going to fix itself.”

Louis’ mouth dropped open. “Rude.” He chastised, but could feel himself standing up and picking up his glass and a few other items to bring into the house. “I’m going in now. But not because of what you suggest, you heathens. M’ going in because I’m bloody exhausted watching over all of you little brats.” He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and threw a glare over his shoulder.

“Whatevs, Lou. Whatever you need to tell yourself.” Lottie was laughing uncontrollably now. “Don’t think we didn’t see the way you had some trouble sitting down earlier today.”

Louis ignored them. Ignorant bastards.

Dropping the glasses in the sink and other items in the cupboard, Louis sprinted up the stairs. He rounded the corner to their room and he found Harry, completely naked, on his bed, slowly wanking with a dreamy smile on his face. Louis leaned up against the door and watched him for a moment, his cock filling quickly. _Shit_.

“What are you doing there, Hazza?”

Harry sighed and Louis could see his fist closing just a little tighter around his length. “Hmmmm…. nothin’ jus’ taking care of a few things here.” His voice was deep and low, that sugar syrupiness crystalizing around the edges.

Louis dropped his shorts and underwear where he was standing at the door and peeled his shirt off over his head. He walked slowly toward the bed. “ _Lou_.” Harry murmured, his hand still moving lazily over his shaft.

“Want you, Harry.” Louis said quietly, his knees bumping the edge of the bed.

Harry sat up and swiveled his body so that Louis was bracketed between his legs. He reached up and slid his hands around to cup Louis’ arse. “Kind of want to fuck you.” Harry whispered, his voice hoarse with want.

Louis shuddered, his dick nearly completely hard now, bobbing close to Harry’s face. “Hm. Kinda wanna fuck you too.”

Harry looked up at him, his eyebrows arched, as he squeezed round handfuls of Louis’ plentiful bum. “Hm…Think I win though, because your arse is better than mine.”

“Harold, that makes no sense.”

“Does to me.”

Harry stood up and crowded right into Louis’ space. He pulled Louis to him roughly, with only his hands on his arse. Louis felt their cocks brush up against one another and his breath hitched. “ _Fuck me_ , Haz.”

“Hm. I intend to.” Harry whispered, his tongue licking out around the shell of Louis’ ear and his long finger sliding into his crack, dry but still so good, making Louis press back into it. Harry gently pushed the pad of his finger on to Louis’ rim and Louis whined, low in his throat, hips already pumping into Harry’s erection, seeking friction.

“ _Harry_.” Louis was starting to fall apart, and Harry hadn’t even kissed him yet.

As if Harry could read his mind, Louis angled his head up slightly and Harry’s warm wet lips pressed into his. For a moment, all Louis could feel was Harry’s warm breath invading his mouth and his nose pressed to his own. Harry’s tongue was kitten soft and hot, seeking Louis’, persistent but gentle at the same time. Their tongues slid together, comfortable but enticing. Louis moaned and Harry swallowed the sound of it as he held Louis in place with one hand still pressed into his crack and the other spanned across his back between his shoulder blades. Kissing Harry was like an endless float at sea. Always threatening to pull Louis under, capsize him, leaving him breathless.

They kissed heatedly for a few minutes until Louis couldn’t stand it anymore. Kissing Harry was grand. Louis could whole heartedly vote for it to be a national pastime. It just that it didn’t really compare to fucking Harry. That was another class of drug altogether. Louis bit down on Harry’s plush bottom lip, taking delight in the way Harry squirmed and let out a high pitch groan. “C’mon Hazza. Thought you were going to fuck me.”

Harry groaned again, this time deeper, more feral, as he released Louis and reached around him to pull the mattress from Louis’ bed down to the ground. Louis stumbled out of the way and watched as Harry, usually so calm and precise in everything he did, was in a frenzy to lay the mattress out and get out the lube and condoms from his drawer. “Lay down.” He demanded, looking over his shoulder at Louis, still standing there like a deer in headlights, hand fisted around his own cock.

Louis felt a shiver race up his spine as he crawled down to the ground, finding a cool space on the mattress to lie on his back. Harry dropped gracelessly to the mattress, landing with a soft thud on his knees between Louis’ legs. “Spread your legs.” He said, firm.

Louis was taken aback by the commanding tone and firm control Harry was showing. Typically Louis would be quick to tease or flip the situation so he was in control, but something about Harry, glaring down at him, lip between his teeth, brow furrowed in concentration with an almost angry light behind his eyes…it was really turning Louis on. He felt like this was a residual remnant from their “no strings attached” conversation; that Harry wasn’t completely over it, like maybe he was still feeling a little angry about it. Whatever it was, it had Louis harder than he’d been in a long time, from just the way Harry’s hands were rough and insistent on his skin and how is voice was demanding and a little harsh.

Louis felt the sticky wetness of pre-come on the tip of his cock and fought the urge to stroke himself. He wanted all of what Harry was preparing to give him and he didn’t’ want to get distracted. Harry squirted lube over his fingers liberally, the shiny clear substance glistening in the low light. “Gonna give you two at first, ok, Lou? I don’t think I’ll last long if we drag this out.” He looked at Louis for acknowledgement.

“Yeah. Yeah. Ok, Harry.” Louis panted out as Harry pushed his knees up, leaving a sticky handprint on one leg.   Louis was completely open to him and he should have been embarrassed at how needy he was for Harry, but he wasn’t. He just wanted Harry inside him. Now.

“Hold your legs up.” Harry barked at him.

Louis bit his lip and did as Harry asked. Christ he was so hot when he was like this. Demanding. Controlling. Fucking ordering Louis around. Louis was pretty sure he could come just like this. Not even being touched; just pushed around a little by Harry. It was such a stark contrast to Harry’s usual sweet disposition.

Harry held himself up with his left arm, looming over Louis’ face, his body between his spread legs. Louis felt the cool slide of Harry’s fingertips as he circled his rim. He arched his back, pushing his arse toward Harry’s fingers. Harry stared at him, veracity in his eyes that Louis hadn’t seen before. Harry pushed the tip of his longest finger in to the first knuckle and looked at Louis, before questioning, “Ok?”

“Ummmm. Yeah.” Louis moaned, rocking up on his hips a little, the motion difficult with his legs up in the air, but he was so desperate for something, anything. He was endeared at the fact that, even though Harry was angry with Louis, he was still gentle and polite enough to make sure Louis was ok and careful not to hurt him.

Harry pushed his finger all the way in and out, a tad on the rough side, sucking air right out of Louis’ body, “Shit. Oh god, _Harry_.” He moaned.

“Yeah? Like that? I think you might like it a little rough, huh Lou?” Harry rasped, pulling his middle finger out and shoving two back in in its place.

“Ungh.” Louis grunted feeling the stretch acutely. There was a slight burn to it, not altogether unpleasant, but the intrusion sudden and…overwhelming. It was rougher than he’d had in a while, but still so good. “Christ. _Harry_.”

Harry pressed his forehead to Louis’ and breathed deep, his nose pressed to Louis’, mouth gaping over Louis’. He pushed his fingers in and out slow and deep over and over, the stretch giving way to an intense pleasure. “Fuck, Lou. You feel so good. Shit.” Harry’s deep, deep voice rumbled over Louis, and Louis could feel his hole clenching around Harry’s fingers. Harry’s body shuddered as he started to release some of the pent up angry energy, replaced by a newfound intent to make Louis feel good, make Louis come.

Looking up at Harry, seeing the intense concentration in his face, Louis felt the sudden intimacy of what they were doing. Harry’s fingers were coaxing these little moans from the back of Louis’ throat and his

eyes bored into Louis’. Harry’s wet, slick fingers explored the velvety soft walls inside Louis’ body, touching him reverently; nearly worshipping. The exploration was limited to two fingertips and a small tight space inside Louis, but Louis felt as if his whole body were being touched by Harry all at once. Louis could feel the bliss settle over Harry; could feel the way Harry was taking the responsibility of making Louis feel good very seriously. It was too much for Louis, seeing Harry like that, so intensely focused on Louis, forgoing his own pleasure for Louis’. Louis had to look away.

Once their eye contact broke, Harry changed the movement, thrusting a bit rougher again before sliding another finger in. Louis yelled out and dropped his legs, feet falling alongside Harry’s hips. The change in angle made the stretch more intense, the tightness more acute. Harry kept his fingers still to give Louis time to adjust, breathing heavy from the exertion. Louis gave him a little nod and Harry started to scissor his fingers, alternating with short quick thrusts.

When Harry’s longest finger rubbed up against Louis’ prostrate Louis keened. “There! Oh god, Harry. Do that again!” His fingers scrabbled up Harry’s broad back and he felt his blunt nails dig into Harry’ shoulder blades. He buried his face in the crook of Harry’s neck, his breath coming faster than before, the sounds spilling out of his mouth frantic and desperate.

Harry dropped his head to Louis’ shoulder and Louis curled up into Harry’s body, pushing his arse back against Harry’s fingers. Harry aimed for Louis’ spot and found it again and again, pulling a long drawn out string of “fuckfuckfuckfuck’s” from Louis’ open mouth.

“Gonna let you come, Lou, then I’m going to fuck you.” Harry said breathlessly, leaning up on his one arm again so he could look into Louis’ eyes for permission.

“Yeah. Yeah, Harry. Please.” Louis’ was begging again, barely noticing that Harry said “ _let_ you come”, but the way in which he said it made Louis want it even more.

Harry pounded his fingers into Louis’ open hole. Gone was the reverence of just a moment before, replaced with a primal need. Nearly every time his finger pressed against Louis’ spot, short staccato jabs that sent jolts of pleasure up Louis’ spine. He could feel his release building low in his stomach but Harry wasn’t letting him come yet. It was clear the way he kept his fingers moving but never completely giving Louis exactly what he wanted, just holding out that little bit.

Finally, finally, Harry pressed his fingers inside Louis’ body and rubbed his fingertip firmly against his prostate. Firm pulsing motions mixed with circular massages. Louis cried out, his voice hoarse and loud, so loud Harry had to cover his mouth with his own to drown out the noise. Louis bucked up into Harry’s hand and he was coming, a fountain of come exploding between their two bodies, the friction of Harry’s torso on his throbbing dick just enough to take him through it.

Harry kept his fingers in for a moment after Louis finished, careful not to touch his spot. Sliding his hand out from between Louis’ legs he murmured, “Wanna do that again, Lou. Fuck. Your voice...love hearing you come for me.”

Louis felt weak; speechless. He stretched out his legs, a cramp settling in his right hip as he felt Harry rummaging around on the mattress. He heard the wrapper of the condom as Harry found it and the discarded lube. “Let me.” Louis said, pushing himself up to sitting, wincing from the soreness in his arse and cock, still tender from his orgasm. He ignored it as best as he could; he could see Harry was desperate. Harry leaned back on his haunches and presented his cock for Louis.

It was beautiful. Glistening with Louis’ come and Harry’s pre-come; Louis felt his spent dick twitch in interest. Suddenly he wanted more than anything to feel Harry fill him up again. He wanted Harry close, he wanted to hear Harry come undone. He wanted to make Harry feel as good as he made him feel. He opened the condom and slid it over Harry’s length, reveling in the way it twitched when Louis’ fingertips touched the smooth skin covering the unbelievable hardness. Harry let out a quiet sigh, and, along with it, Louis felt some of the control he’d been heralding slip away too.

“Let me take care of you Harry.”   Louis said quietly, filling his palm with lube and sliding his hand over Harry’s covered cock. “Lay down.”

Their eyes met and Harry visibly shivered, some of his carefully constructed guard going down. Louis realized then that Harry was playing a role for Louis; one that made him rough and in charge, demanding of Louis in a way he wasn’t outside of their shared bedroom. He was trying to show Louis that it didn’t matter, that Louis didn’t want more with him, that he wasn’t hurt by Louis’ admission. While Louis loved how Harry had been so rough and demanding just minutes before, he knew that Harry wanted to be taken care of, needed it. Suddenly Louis felt older; more nurturing, much more in need of comforting Harry through his touch, his body. He wanted this boy to feel cared for, wanted.

Harry slumped on to his back, his resolve finally melting into the ground beneath them. His dick looked almost painfully hard now. Louis scooted over his hips, straddling Harry’s midsection, his hands open and firm on Harry’s chest. He rolled Harry’s nipples between his fingers, the slick wetness of the lube adding to the sensation, and watched Harry’s mouth drop open and eyes close tightly. “So pretty, Hazza.” Louis murmured. Harry opened his eyes slowly, already looking sated, blissed out. He was so gorgeous like this, hazy and patiently waiting; at Louis’ mercy.

Louis pulled himself up into a squatting position, hovering about Harry’s erection. He reached behind himself and held Harry steady, breath hitching at how unbelievably hard Harry was. Harry reached up and gripped Louis’ hips, thumbs moving in soothing circles over the soft flesh there. Louis looked deep into Harry’s eyes and he had to look away, once again. The way Harry was looking at him; so intense so full of emotion…it really was too much for Louis. Louis wasn’t good with feelings. But he knew he was good at fucking, so he decided to focus on that instead; making Harry feel as good as humanly possible.

Dropping down slowly on to Harry’s long thick cock, Louis let out a long drawn out moan. “Fuck… _Harry_.”

Harry’s eyes were clenched tight and his mouth open in a little round O, focusing on not moving, not yet. Louis eased all the way down and sat perfectly still once he bottomed out. The only sound was the harsh breaths coming out of Harry’s mouth and the little low drawn out moan leaving Louis’ body involuntarily. Louis eased himself forward so that his, _Christ_ , quickly filling dick could be pressed between their bodies and his forearms flat on the mattress alongside Harry’s face. He could feel Harry still deep inside him but at this angle there was a pressurized drag to the way he fit inside of his body, the need to _move_ intense.

Louis kissed Harry with as much skill as he could muster. It was a slow scrape of teeth on tongues and a wet mush of lips and spit. Harry was really into it though, his hips starting to pulse just enough to make Louis shiver and the sounds trapped between them muffled and deep.

Louis started to move his hips, grinding down and moving in small circles while Harry began thrusting a little harder. “Yeah Lou. Just like that. Feels so good…” Harry whispered, licking along Louis’ jawline and sucking the sensitive skin there.  

Louis started moving faster, sliding up and down a little along with the slow deep grinds while Harry matched his rhythm, pumping in and almost out, but not quite, and then back in again, deep and hard. Louis lost track of himself, lost completely in the sensations of Harry’s skin, lips and hands. The way his cock felt inside him and the way his own body seemed to stretch and accommodate Harry as if he was made for filling Louis.

“Not. Going. To. Last.” Harry moaned, each word separated by a deep pump of his hips.

“ _God_ , Harry.” Louis whined, pressing his lips to Harry temple, trying to hold himself still so Harry could take what he needed from Louis. “Please. Just keep doing that. _Fuck_.”

Harry pumped up four more times and then his hips stuttered as he let out a long deep hoarse moan, filling the condom and scratching at Louis’ arse to keep him still. It felt like ages that they were locked together like that, Harry pulsing inside Louis, and Louis trying to keep from writhing around too much, intent on letting Harry ride out his high deep inside Louis.

When Harry was done, he slid his hand hurriedly between them and jacked Louis off quickly, his hand trapped between their torsos but still tight and good. So good Louis was coming himself within a few seconds.

Breathing hard, they both clung to each other for a few minutes until the sweat cooling on their bodies caused Louis to curse, his skin clammy and chilled. He slowly eased off of Harry, hissing when Harry slipped out of him. Harry pulled off the condom, tied it off, and tossed it to the trash. Louis pulled a blanket off of Harry’s bed and pulled it over the two of them. Harry flung his arm out wide so Louis could cuddle up alongside him and nuzzle into his armpit. Harry smelled like sweat and come and patchouli, along with a slight hint of whatever it was that made Harry smell like Harry. It was good and it made Louis sigh with contentedness.

“So good, Lou.” Harry said softly.

“Hm.” Louis hummed in agreement.

“Could listen to you come all day.” Harry said earnestly, running his fingertips over Louis’ upper arm.

Louis shivered. “Could listen to you making me come all day.” He joked, earning a pinch near his elbow.

They lay in the quiet for a few more minutes. The house settle around them, odd creaks and groans, comforting and reassuring. Louis could feel his eyes drooping, Harry’s warmth lulling him to sleep and the soft sounds of his inhalations like a meditation in his ears. The sound of Harry’s heart beat thumping in his ears, the percussion of it like clock counting down their time together.

“Lou?” Harry whispered as Louis felt himself trying to cling to consciousness.

“Yeah?”

“Can we…can we sleep together?” If Louis were more alert he’d notice the nervousness that crept into Harry’s voice, threatening to take over his usual light happy tone.

“Course silly.” Was all Louis could muster, snuggling further into Harry’s body. “Slept together already, didn’t we? Why stop now?”

Harry held Louis closer, pulling him nearly back on top of him as Louis’ body went limp and into the current of deep sleep. Harry stared at the ceiling until he was sure Louis wasn’t going anywhere. Then, he let himself fall asleep, to the sounds of Louis’ soft snores and the old house surrendering to the night as well.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A full week had passed into their vacation. Louis had fallen into a comfortable routine. Hang out with his sisters and their friends during the day; going to the beach, hiking, sightseeing, and then ending the day with a swim and dinner, maybe a movie, and cuddling into one of the tiny beds on the third floor with Harry.

He and Harry continued to have phenomenal sex. Mind blowing, earth shattering, world stopping sex. Louis had never had sex like this before. It was like he and Harry were made to fuck each other. Right from the beginning it was like this frenzied chorus of can’t get enough of you kissing, humping, coming chaos. But it worked. There was something about Harry. Maybe it was his lovely, lovely hair. Or his incredible body that knew exactly how to work Louis over in just the right way. Or just his smell. There was something about Harry’s unique scent that drove Louis quite literally crazy.

The other day, after frantic hand jobs in the greenhouse, Louis had confessed that Harry just had to walk by him to get him hard.

“What are you on about?” Harry giggled, tucking himself back into his shorts, wiping his wet, come soaked hand on his t-shirt; that would be going directly into the wash, thank you very much.

“You know. S’ the way you smell. All manly and stuff.” Louis said, off-handedly, pulling his shirt over his head, trying to fix his mussed hair (Harry had a thing for hair pulling, Louis discovered, which Louis found, much to his surprise, he did too).

“Manly? No one’s ever accused me of being manly!” Harry smirked, his lips spreading in that delicious way of his, all slow and teasing.

Louis balled up Harry’s t-shirt and stuffed it in Harry’s back pocket as he wrapped his arms around his bare middle. He looked up at him and pecked his mouth softly, batting his eyes. “Well, you smell manly to me, Styles. And it turns me into a sex starved maniac.”

“Hmmm.” Harry hummed, leaning in to capture Louis’ mouth in a less chaste kiss, licking into it with intent. “I like you starved. Must be the patchouli.”

Louis made a fake gagging noise. “Ew. Definitely not the patchouli, you hippie. That I could do without.”

Harry pouted, which Louis found absolutely fucking adorable. “Hey. You like my smell!”

“I like your smell, Hazza, yes I do.” Louis placated, rolling his eyes and squeezing Harry into a tight hug, endeared by this lanky boy, and his sweet, sweet smell that made him exactly what Louis wanted most.

So…there was that. They couldn’t keep their hands off of each other and Louis, apparently, had a thing for Harry’s smell.

Today, Louis and Harry had the rare opportunity to go to the beach alone. It was a little overcast and cool out and the little girls wanted to stay in and have a pajama day, watching movies and baking cookies. Louis was promised frosted sugar cookies with sprinkles. The beach was pretty much uninhabited, the smooth sand unfettered by footprints and no noisy tourists with their children and dogs running wild. There was an elderly couple down the shore a bit, strolling along the line where the water met the sand, and aside from them, the beach was theirs.

Louis pulled the arms from his sweater down over his hands and snuggled in closer to Harry. They were sitting on an old woolen blanket, with a small picnic basket of sandwiches and apples at their feet. He looked sideways at Harry and, once again, was swept away by his obvious beauty. His hair today was brushed up in a bun off his head and he wore those obscenely tight black jeans he’d had on the first day they’d met. He was wearing a jade green sweatshirt with a hood, which brought out the dark green hues in his eyes. He was stunning. The sea in front of them was loud today, making it somewhat hard to talk, but they were both okay with that, it was nice just to be cuddled up with one another, feeling each other’s warmth and enjoying the peace and quiet, none of Louis’ siblings and their loud friends around to interrupt them in their thoughts and snuggling.

They sat like that in silence for some time before the elderly couple approached their blanket. As they came closer Louis could see it was a man and a woman, the man stooped slightly with age, or just to be closer to his partner, Louis couldn’t be sure. They both had shocks of white hair on their heads and were dressed in dowdy warm clothes, maybe too warm for the day, but they looked cozy, nonetheless.

“Good afternoon.” The man said, stopping near their spot, between the blanket and the sea.

Louis and Harry both greeted him cheerfully.

“Not a great day for the beach, is it boys?” The woman chirped, her reedy high voice floating over the waves.

“No, I’m afraid not.” Harry said politely. Louis smiled. Such a polite boy.

“You don’t look too bothered by it.” The gentleman winked.

Louis laughed and smiled broadly. It was true. It didn’t matter that they couldn’t swim or that the sun wasn’t shining. What mattered is that they were here together and alone and it was nice. Comforting, even.

“Such a handsome couple, aren’t they George?” The woman said, George nodding enthusiastically.

Louis was ready to correct her and tell her that they weren’t a couple when Harry piped up, “Thank you.” He sounded so earnest, so pleased with the comment, that Louis bit his tongue.

“They sure are Sadie. Lovely boys. How long have you been together?” George asked, holding out his hand for Sadie, who took it, blindly, almost like she had a sixth sense about her partner’s silent request; as if their bodies moved in perfect tandem, anticipating the other’s movement. It was sweet.

“Oh were not…” Louis began, quieted by Harry’s louder, gruff voice.

“Not very long. How about the two of you?” Harry was beaming, caught up in the two sweet seniors in front of them.  

“Been 65 years next week we’ll be married, isn’t that right, George?” Sadie said. Louis noticed she spoke loudly into George’s left ear, as if he might not hear so well out of the other.

“Yup. Known my girl nearly my whole life. Met when we were jus’ kids ourselves. I was 20 and Sadie was 18. Was love at first sight.” George was shining like the sun, staring at his lovely wife, her eyes twinkling deep within entrenched wrinkles and folds of skin lining her small face.

“Don’t know if it was love, but it was somethin’” Sadie grinned, winking up at George. He laughed and cupped her chin, smiling down at her.

It was really touching, seeing the two of them. They were so sweet and open and obviously in love, even after all this time. It made something ache in Louis’ chest, as if he could sense a missing part of himself that he never knew was absent until this moment.

“Well anyway you two, enjoy the beach. You’ll have it all to yourselves now.” George said, smiling down at them.

“Thanks…” Louis called out to them, still a little lost in his own thoughts.

Harry sat up a little and said, “Wait. Jus’ wondering…what’s your secret?” His boyish face was alight in curiosity, the dark clouds overhead doing nothing to dim the bright glow that seemed to surround him.

George and Sadie shared a knowing look. “That’s easy.” Sadie said with a smile, her pretty frosted pink lips thin but still shapely, “Never go to bed angry. When in doubt, make love.” She used her fingers to tick of her list. “And, the most important one, you’re never too young, or old, to fall in love. I fall in love with my Georgie every day.”

George was beaming as he stooped further to kiss Sadie on the top of her head, her thinning hair wispy and windblown, like whitewashed beach grass. Louis felt like he could cry. Tears popped up, unbidden, in his eyes. He blinked them away quickly. They were just the sweetest things and it made him feel very, very alone.

“The two of you are lovely. Thank you for stopping.” Harry said, so genuine and kind.

Louis looked over at Harry and could see his dimples on full display, his bright eyes twinkling at their two new acquaintances standing in the sand. As the two of them walked away, after a departing wave, Louis turned his body toward Harry’s.

“Harry. How incredible were they?”

“So sweet.” Harry said, leaning back on his arms smiling broadly at Louis.

“They really loved each other.” Louis remarked, equally to himself and Harry.

“Sure seemed like it.” Harry looked back at the sea, the white caps of the waves creating a beautiful scene, but not as beautiful as Harry. At least in Louis’ opinion. “Good advice they gave, yeah?”

“Hm.” Louis said lying down on his back, looking up at the dreary sky.

A few quiet moments went by until Harry joined Louis lying on the blanket. They were both on their sides, facing each other, looking into each other’s eyes.

“You ever think about that? What it would be like to be married? Share a life with someone?” Louis said quietly.

Harry searched his eyes, his face open and wondering. “Sure, Lou. All the time. S’ definitely what I want.”

“Even as young as you are?” He whispered.

Harry’s big hand found its way to Louis’ cheek. He laid his warm palm against Louis’ cool skin and caressed his cheek bone with his thumb, making Louis close his eyes at the intimacy of it. “Lou.” Harry’s voice was deep and gentle. Louis was beginning to get used to this; the way Harry could go from carefree and bright one moment, to full of intent and a hurricane of emotion the next. It was a fascinating juxtaposition.

Louis opened his eyes and for the life of him, couldn’t figure out why his heart was beating so fast. It felt like it could burst out of his chest at any moment. His stomach felt tight and his body was warm all of a sudden. He was resisting the urge to get up and run away. Run away from this beautiful boy with the curls and the dimples and those eyes that were looking so deep inside of Louis right now. Looking into his soul.

“I think…” Harry’s voice was slow and sure, the word ‘think’ coming out clearly enunciated, the ‘k’ sharp and precise. “I think that when you find someone you’re meant to be with you know. Doesn’t matter who they are or where you find them. Or how old you are. You just know. And you fight for it.”

Louis stared at Harry, willing himself to look away. But he couldn’t. That’s the thing about Harry. No matter what he is saying or doing, Louis can’t look away. Because Harry is captivating. He is all encompassing and he makes Louis _think_. He makes Louis _feel_ . And fuck if that isn’t something Louis is used to doing. At all.

Harry moved his hand down lower on Louis’ face, cupping his jaw, thumb moving over Louis’ bottom lip. Louis could see Harry’s eyes flitting down to his mouth and back up to his eyes. Louis could only stare at Harry’s eyes. He was lost in them, much like a boat at sea. With nothing holding him down, anchoring him to earth, but the evergreen truth in Harry’s irises.

Louis let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and Harry smiled. It was a sweet, kind, gentle smile, lips parted, eyes crinkling softly, it was a smile Louis hoped he could remember for a long time. It was a private smile; meant just for Louis. And Louis took it, tucking it inside him, to remind him of this time he had with Harry.

As they met in the middle, Harry let his lips brush over Louis’ softly, just a feather of a kiss. Louis sighed and surged forward a little, pressing into Harry fully. Their chests were flush up against one another as Louis slipped his arm around Harry’s waist. Harry moved his hand around to the back of Louis’ head, cradling it and tugging gently at the longer strands of hair there.

As Louis opened up his mouth to Harry, letting him in, content to have him explore and claim Louis’ kiss for his own, Louis couldn’t help but feel that he was letting Harry in to more and more of him, his life. Harry was finding his way into Louis’ thoughts and into the very minutiae of what constituted Louis, who he was as a person, as a friend, brother, lover.

Already, Harry knew that Louis liked to brush his teeth in the shower. He knew that Louis took milk only in his tea and that he thought all fruit with seeds on the outside was creepy; an abomination. Harry knew that Louis liked sleeping on the outside of the bed, which was fine, because Harry liked sleeping in Louis’ arms, cuddled up like a child in his embrace, Louis spooning him from behind. Louis knew that Harry thought it was weird as fuck that he didn’t wear socks, like ever, but Harry said he didn’t’ care if all of Louis’ shoes smelled like something died in them. Harry knew that Louis’ babysitter when he was 4 was named Claudia, but Louis called her Clyde, much to his mother’s embarrassment, even after Louis knew better. He just did it to be a little shit. Harry knew so much about him; in such a short amount of time.

And Louis, Louis knew so much about Harry too. He knew that Harry was generous to a fault. He let Louis and all of the girls, for that matter, eat off his plate and drink from his glass, even if it was the very last of something that was one of Harry’s favorites. If someone was cold, Harry gave them his jacket. If someone was tired, Harry cuddled up next to them and let them fall asleep on his broad shoulder. Louis knew that Harry just simply liked helping people. That it made him feel good. He knew that Harry loved a homemade organic fruit and vegetable smoothie in sort of an obsessive way, but wasn’t above a heaping bowl of ice cream, either. Pistachio, in particular, was Harry’s favorite. Louis knew, also, that Harry was studying to be a lawyer, but really wanted to be a writer. But he was afraid he would fail, or even worse, let his parents down. Louis knew what Harry’s breathing sounded like when he slept and he knew exactly what his hips and body felt like just before he came. Louis knew Harry by his scent and taste alone.

Harry, in less than a week, had become such a big part of Louis’ life, and Louis, of his. And that…That was…terrifying. Should be terrifying. But, somehow, kissing Harry in the sand on a cold day on a faraway beach, Louis didn’t feel terrified, he felt content. He felt happy. He felt _grateful_. And _that_ was what terrified him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

“Bloody hell!” the glass slipped right through Louis’ sweaty palms, causing him to bellow into the empty room. “Fucking shit fuck.”

Louis was changing light bulbs throughout the house, following his Nan’s carefully documented schedule. Her chicken scratch was hard enough to read, aside from the fact which most of the light fixtures were well above Louis’ head (and, no, not because he was vertically challenged, it was because this creaky old bastard house had very high ceilings). Louis stepped off the ladder carefully, he wasn’t wearing shoes, and comically leapt over the shards on the floor. Just then, Phoebe chose to come skipping into the room.

“No! Stay right where you are!” Louis shrieked, his voice high and penetrating, making him cringe at the sound of it.

Phoebe skidded to a halt, her pink socks providing no friction on the highly polished wood floors. “What happened?”

“Broke a bulb, pet, don’t want you to cut yourself.” Louis stalked toward the hall closet to retrieve a broom and dust pan.

Phoebe’s eyes went round as she backed out of the room. “Ha-aaaa-aaary!” She bellowed. “Lou’s too short to change the light bulbs! Come help him!”

Louis’ rolled his eyes. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid. The last two days Louis had been trying to finish up the chore list his grandmother had left for him and Harry had shadowed him to the point that Louis found himself either too distracted to work (Harry was proving to be entirely TOO distracting on all kinds of levels) or, Harry insisted on helping, making Louis feel incredibly guilty about Harry using his holiday to fix up his family’s vacation home. Harry had been deeply engaged in a game of gin rummy with Janine and Lottie, so Louis slinked away, list in hand, prepared to work quickly so he wouldn’t notice he was gone.

“Wha’s up, Lou?” Harry asked, his deep rich voice like molten chocolate, oozing over Louis’ skin and right into his cock.

Louis let out a dramatic sigh.

“Nothing. Just dropped a bulb. I don’t need your help! I have a ladder.” His voice was indignant, almost angry.

Harry just smiled and took the dustpan, squatting down to hold it so Louis could sweep the shards into the bright blue plastic receptacle. “Course not. You are fully capable of changing a few light bulbs Lou.”

Louis was pretty sure Harry was patronizing him. Which was infuriating. But kind of sweet too. “Anyway,” Louis handed Harry the broom silently, watching Harry saunter to the trash, dump the contents of the dust pan and put both items back in the closet. “Can do it myself.” Now he really did sound like a two year old.

“Mind if I watch?” Harry said quietly, his deep voice brushing up against Louis’ nerve endings the way and artist uses a blank canvas.

Louis looked at Harry, one eyebrow raised. See? This is exactly why Louis was doing this himself. Distracting.   The boy was distracting. He shrugged and tried to appear unaffected. Best to not look intrigued in Harry’s undeniable sex appeal. Harry leaned against the nearest wall, his long legs clad in Nike athletic shorts, bare feet and of course, no top. Distracting.

Louis climbed three stairs of the ladder, fresh bulb in his hand. He reached up and began screwing the bulb in, a look of concentration on his face. He barely finished screwing the bulb in when he felt Harry slowly ascending the ladder behind him.

“Harry.” He tried to use his most warning tone.

“Louis.” Harry mirrored the same tone, yet he was clearly mocking Louis.

Now Louis was stuck. Harry was pressed up against him, one stair below him, but because of their height difference Harry could whisper directly into Louis ear.

“Tonight…” Harry began, gently moving the wisps of hair from the base of Louis’ neck, “tonight I want to eat you out.” He used his tongue to swirl a small kiss at the side of Louis’ neck.

Louis shivered and felt his hole contract involuntarily. “ _Hazza_.”

“Make sure you take your time in the shower, getting clean. Wanna taste every part of you. Drive you wild.” Harry’s voice was barely a whisper but Louis felt like he was shouting in his ear, his dick twitching pitifully in time to Harry’ deep voice.

Then, he was gone, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll leave you be, Lou. Don’t want to distract you.” There was definitely a smirk in his voice.

Fucking Harry. Now Louis was distracted beyond belief. Clearly not a good idea to be on a ladder with glass objects. Letting out a ragged breath, Louis set about putting away the ladder and bulbs, tucking the chore list back into his pocket. He glanced at the clock in the kitchen. 3:00 pm. He idly wondered if it was too early to take a shower and get ready for bed.

****

It turned out that Harry was by far the best cook out of all of them. So, they made some adjustments to the schedule and Harry agreed to cook all the dinners for the rest of the trip. They had about 9 days left and Louis, for one, was happy not to eat any more of the twins’ sandwich creations. That last one, marshmallow fluff and hard salami, was absolutely putrid. Yes, Harry’s cooking was a definite bonus to having the lad on holiday with them.

The entire group of them had really gelled so well. The little girls were having the time of their lives and between Lottie, Louis and Fizzy, they all took turns taking the girls on adventures. It spread the responsibility around a little and allowed Louis to really spend time relaxing and enjoying his holiday too.   They all had a soft bronze color to their skin from long days at the beach or in the pool and there was a relaxed joyful atmosphere in the house.

Still, Louis couldn’t help but feel a slow burning nag in the back of his mind. It was the harsh reality that in just over a week’s time they’d all be home and everyone, everyone but Louis, would be settling back into their lives and the activities that would lead them to their futures. Lottie, Janine and Harry were off to college, while Fizzy and the twins and their friends were back to their own respective schools. Louis still felt every bit as lost as he did before he came on holiday, despite being more well rested and definitely more well fucked than he had before.

This morning, while picking blackberries at a local farm with the girls and Harry, Louis found himself lost in thought. Before the rest of the house woke up, he had looked up how to make an academic appeal on his laptop he brought from home. It looked complicated. It could be done, but there was an extensive amount of paperwork and depending upon the student’s overall GPA, he might have to actually retake classes he passed prior to flunking out. If he received a grade of C in any of his major courses he would be asked to retake them. By Louis’ estimation this meant he probably had a full year of schooling to re-do as opposed to just a semester.

The alternative was he could look for a job. His options were limited without a college degree and even further limited by the fact that he’d have to live at home because he couldn’t afford to move out. The job offerings in his hometown were slim and left him feeling even more desperate than the academic appeal option. He could probably work at the local grocery store or maybe even the petrol station. Possibly get a job as a groundskeeper at one of the housing developments. All of these options did not seem too attractive to Louis.

The thing was, he really wanted to be a teacher. He’d always imagined it, his whole life. He wanted to work with little kids and help them embrace a love for learning and, if possible, through the arts. He knew he’d be good at it and knew, even more, that he could reach kids like himself who didn’t take school seriously. When he really thought about it, the fact that he had fucked up his life dream was what hurt him the most. Not the stigma of having flunked out, not what others thought about him, not even the fact that his mum was surely disappointed in him…no, it was the fact that he might not ever become a teacher. And this made him really sad.

While stooping in the middle of a blackberry bramble, fighting back tears, Louis suddenly had this overwhelming urge to fight. To fight for his education. To fight for his dream and most importantly, to redeem himself in his own eyes. He needed to prove to himself that he could do this. And it was going to be hard. But worth it in the end.

Maybe this time away had been really good for Louis, he thought. The chance to get a little perspective. To really think about what he wanted for himself. On some level, Louis knew Harry was to thank for some of this.   Harry, with his zen like calm and his optimistic outlook. It was hard to wallow in self-pity when he spent so much time with this kid who thought the sun rose and set with him, and even more, who was just _strong_. He was a pinnacle of strength for Louis; always helping Louis see a way around a problem, helping him figure out ways to think about things in different ways. Louis made fun of him constantly for being philosophical over the most mundane ridiculous things (“Always such a hippie, aren’t you Hazza?”), but…it was kind of rubbing off.

The thing Louis didn’t want to face the most was how hard it will be to say good bye to Harry. Because, no matter how hard Louis has tried to keep things light with Harry, Harry has wound his way into just about every waking, and sleeping, thing Louis does. Louis loves falling asleep next to Harry, hearing him breathe and feeling the warmth of his body in the tiny little twin bed in the attic. Louis loves the deep resonance of Harry’s melodic slow voice. He loves the way he feels when Harry looks at him, kisses him, touches him…He loves how he feels when he’s with Harry, which is all the time. He feels like he’s a part of something, like he belongs somewhere. And that is something Louis has never really had before.

And it’s kind of perfect.

But Louis can’t think about it. He just can’t. Not when everything about his own life is so up in the air. Not when Harry could have so much more than Louis. Not when it hurts so much to think about giving Harry up when he’s everything Louis wants right now.

“Lou?”

Harry’s deep voice brings him out of his own muddled thoughts. Louis looks up sharply, banging into his water glass, nearly tipping it over. Harry’s looking at him with an amused look in his eye, but still so soft and gentle. “I said, do you want the last piece of chicken?” Harry’s standing at the head of the table with the baking dish in his one hand, spatula with piece of baked chicken in the other.

Louis just looks at Harry, mouth open and eyes wide. Harry could quite possibly be the most beautiful thing Louis has ever seen.

Harry smiles and the girls around the table snicker into their hands or napkins. Fizzy laughs the loudest. “Lou! You should see yourself. I’d say get a room…but…”

Louis has the presence of mind to look embarrassed. He gets flustered but manages, “No thanks, Haz. M’ good.”

Harry just smiles that beatific smile of his and puts the pan back on the table. The girls all fall back in to conversation and Louis locks eyes with Harry. Something sparks between them and it is so open, honest, pure. Louis feels his heart flutter in his chest and suddenly he feels like he can’t breathe properly. He wants Harry. He wants Harry with all of his being. He doesn’t want to let him go at the end of next week. He wants to be with him always and forever.

The thing is, will Harry want the same thing?

Louis feels, for the thousandth time in the past few weeks, that it isn’t his choice to make for Harry. Harry needs to know that choosing Louis comes with a whole lot of baggage and Harry, being so young and innocent, might not understand the implications of straddling himself with Louis. Louis has an uphill battle, and Harry, well Harry is just starting out. Louis wishes he had a crystal ball so he could look into the future and see if he and Harry could really make it work.

Harry quirks an eyebrow as a silent question to Louis as if to say, “You ok?” Louis just smiles back and takes a deep breath. He’ll be ok. He knows he will. No matter what happens next.

****

Louis’ has seen a lot of dicks in his day. Hell, he’s had a number of them in his mouth and even more in his hand. But he can honestly say that Harry’s is absolutely the best cock he’s ever had the true fortune to experience. He can especially say that right now, in this moment, as Harry’s full cock is sliding in and out of his mouth, slowly, languidly as if it has nowhere else in the world to be.

Louis looks up at Harry, his eyes brimming with tears as Harry fucks in and out of his warm wet mouth with a kind of sloppy precision that is unique to Harry. Everything about Harry is slow and peaceful, but laced with a kind of yearning, a sexual energy. It’s the most awe inspiring yin and yang Louis’ has ever seen.

“ _Louis_.” Is all Harry says, but his voice, oh god, his voice is wrecked. He’s using every ounce of self-control not to jam his cock all the way into the back of Louis’ mouth and just pump himself deeper, deeper until he is streaming down Louis’ tight constricting throat.

Louis blinks his eyes and squeezes at Harry’s thighs, letting him know to go ahead, take what he wants. All Louis wants is to make Harry happy. Happy and spent; giving everything to Louis. Louis wants it all. It’s funny how in just a few short weeks they have mastered the art of body language

during sex. The simple gesture has Harry pumping in and out in quick succession, Louis gagging but working to keep it at a minimum (because, _Christ_ , not everyone was blessed without a gag reflex), and Harry is coming in a matter of seconds. Harry holds Louis still, hands placed firmly at the sides of his head, scratching at the tender scalp underneath, as come courses down his throat.

Louis swallows and sputters. And swallows some more; earning him the most incredible string of praises from Harry.

“So fucking good, Lou. You take me so good. _Baby_.” His voice is tender and soft, with just a hint of breathiness.

Louis preens at the words spilling out of Harry’s mouth as he leans back and swipes at his bottom lip and chin, collecting the come that’s dribbled out of his mouth. He looks up at Harry as he sucks the thick liquid off of his fingers and sees Harry’s eyes, adoring and blazing in the tranquil light coming in through the window. He gets up, not altogether very gracefully, his knees sore from being pressed into the carpeting for some time, and presses himself into Harry’s waiting arms.

Harry kisses along Louis’ jawline and cups his bare ass. It feels like they’ve been naked together more than clothed this entire trip. “So good, Louis. Amazing.”

Harry’s deep voice wraps Louis up nearly as tight as his strong arms. Snaking his hand down between them, Harry smirks. “I think I promised someone some rimming tonight.” His voice is light and teasing but his firm grasp on Louis’ cock is anything but. Louis gasps as Harry presses his thumb lightly into his slit.

“Think you can make it through a shower like this? Huh?” He’s slowly stroking Louis shaft, his fingertips just light pressing against the firing nerve endings.

Louis’ pretty sure there’s no way in hell he could make it through a shower like this but he doesn’t want to be greedy so…

“Lou? Have to answer me. Need to know.” Harry’s hand is moving faster, making Louis cry out as his stomach coils. He is practically hanging off of Harry’s strong frame, his legs too weak to hold himself up.

“Fuck. Harry. _Come on_.” Louis whines, feeling the need to release as it builds white hot from his core.

Harry chuckles and sucks a spot on Louis’ neck. His muffled, “Ok, babe, ok, I’ve got you.” Comes at the same time as Louis shoots his load between them, Harry’s big strong hand working him through it.

Breathing heavy, Louis looks up at Harry. “I think...” He kisses Harry’s dimple, showing prominently because Harry is being a smug asshole right now. “That you broke me.”

Harry laughs, deep and throaty, as he wraps his hands around Louis’ back, his come filled palm smearing across Louis’ arse. Louis wants to be disgusted, he does, but he really can’t be bothered now that he’s just had an astounding, albeit quick, orgasm. His limbs are shaky and his body feels as if it’s melded to Harry’s.  

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Harry whispers, leading Louis to the bathroom. Louis follows, begrudgingly, because walking is really hard. Why he can’t just be carried around is beyond him, really.

Harry starts the shower and Louis just leans up against the door watching him work. The room is really too tiny for the two of them so he waits. Once the temperature is just right, Harry holds out his hand, stepping inside the little shower first. Louis follows, of course he does, because Harry is looking at him with those green saucer eyes of his and his pretty pink mouth is slanted in a one sided grin, dewy drops of water already sticking to his mass of curly hair.

Sliding into the water, pressed up against Harry feels better than a shower should. It’s warm and comforting, the steam swirling around the as the scent of their comingled sweat and come rinses down the drain and is slowly replaced by Harry’s patchouli lavender body wash. Louis’ is too blissed out to argue about the hippie juice as Harry squirts some into his big hands and begins soaping Louis down. Louis keeps his eyes closed, lost in the sensation of Harry, Harry, Harry. Surrounding him, dropping little chaste kisses to his lips, nose and eyelids, Harry takes his time washing Louis. He spreads the suds over his chest and nipples, eliciting a little moan from Louis’ open mouth and runs his hands up and down Louis’ hips and sides. He squats down in front of Louis in the tiny chipped bath tub to wash Louis’ legs and even between his toes.

Louis giggles and wiggles his toes. “C’mon Haz. Tickles!”

Harry responds with a tap on the hip, signaling for Louis to turn around. Louis complies, too relaxed to argue. Harry massages the backs of Louis’ calves and thighs, the deep circular motions deliciously good since Louis’ a bit sore from last night’s activities (he does squats to keep his bum in tip top shape, ok, but not that _vigorously_ ). Louis groans as Harry works his fingers into Louis’ muscles, the pleasure and pain of the massage exactly balanced.

Harry stands behind him and runs his soapy hands up Louis’ bum and back, rubbing his shoulders and back muscles as he goes. Louis is pliant in Harry’s strong capable hands, letting his body unwind in the steam.

“Was serious about what I said earlier today.” Harry’s deep voice comes right in Louis’ ear.  

Louis hums, not really caring what Harry is on about right now, too consumed in the way his hands are kneading into the small of his back. “Hm?”

“Gonna eat you out. Make you so horny for me. You’ll beg me to fuck you.”

Louis’ eyes pop open just as Harry pushes his shoulders forward a little, Louis’ hands flying up to gain purchase on the slipper square tiles in front of him. Harry slides up behind him a little more firmly so Louis can feel his semi pressing into his hip. And that’s…. _intriguing_.

This is what it’s like with Harry. Unpredictable. You could be sharing a nice peaceful relaxing shower one minute and then feeling your spent cock filling up at an alarming rate the next. Louis has never wanted sex like he wants it with Harry. It feels like it’s never enough, but so much more than enough at the same time. Sometimes he feels like his body aches to be near Harry. To be touching him, to be kissed by him. And when Harry fills him…it’s simply the most exquisite feeling in the world.

Lost in the sensation of Harry’s hips pumping slowly behind him, Louis’ missed the second application of shower gel to Harry’s capable hands. Harry’s hands circle his arse, rubbing large circles in the firm flesh. He massages each cheek liberally, pulling soft sighs of equal amounts of want and content from Louis.

“Gonna just…” Harry’s voice is low, like a lullaby, as Louis feels one of his fingers slide up and down his crack, sending a delicious shiver up his spine.

“Haz.” Louis’ high breathy moan echoes in the small room.

“Yeah…S’ ok, Lou. M’ just gonna get you ready, ok?” Harry’s slick soapy hand is running from his balls up to the small of his back, his crack like a runway.

Louis nods because he’s suddenly incapable of speaking. When Harry presses one slick soapy finger inside of him he jolts forward, the pleasure intense. Harry has memorized the contours of Louis’s body, inside and out, and he finds Louis’ prostate on the first go. He swirls his finger around inside, while running soap all over Louis’ rim, the feeling exquisite as he works Louis inside and out.

“Don’t wanna open you too much, Lou. Want my tongue to do that.”

How is it that Harry could use that sinful voice to be singing Spice Girls karaoke with his sisters earlier in the day and getting Louis harder by the second now, in this bathroom, with the steam as their only witness?

Harry pulled his finger out and brought Louis backwards, more fully into the spray of the shower. Louis could feel the water cascading down his shoulders and back, running over his soapy arse. Harry held him still with one hand on his stomach, carefully avoiding his now throbbing dick, and the other on his hip, moving him this way and that so the water could rinse him clean.

“Bend down, love.” Harry cooed in Louis’ ear.

Louis was nothing if not a people pleaser.

He bent fully, gripping his ankles and thrust his arse up into the air. Harry sucked in a harsh breath and rutted against Louis’ arse for a moment before angling the shower head at Louis’ hole. The sensation was intense, the heat of the water prickling Louis’ nerve endings, the feeling of being so open and on display hot and a little on the dangerous side.

Louis felt Harry’s thumb circle his rim, presumably to rinse him further, but, knowing Harry, probably to be a tease just as much. Pressing up fully behind him, his heavy cock nestled in the cleave of Louis’ arse, Harry inhaled deeply, using his strong hands, fingers splayed, to pull Louis back and forth over his erection.

“You don’t know how hard it is not to fuck you like this, Louis.” Harry’s voice broke, the intensity of it like a tidal wave. “I could just…” Louis felt Harry’s cock head slip past the tight ring of muscle, just stopping inside.

Louis inhaled sharply, feeling his body trying to suck Harry in. He could feel Harry shaking behind him, clearly wanting to thrust inside Louis’ warm tight heat as much as Louis wanted it. Harry pulled out, the popping pressure just this side of pleasant. “But I won’t. Wanna taste you.” Harry’s words coated Louis’ ear, sending a jolt of shock directly into his core.

Louis turned in Harry’s arms, finally facing him again. He took in the way the water ran in haphazard rivulets down his broad face and how his eyes were blown, dark with lust. He stared at the way Harry’s hair came down well past his shoulders, dripping wet like this and he was once again rendered speechless. He could feel their cocks settled together between them, solid and aching. This beautiful, sweet boy, who could tear him apart with one short sentence or thrust of his hips….he was truly the most beautiful creature to ever walk the planet, as far as Louis was concerned.

Louis pulled Harry’s head down so he could sear their lips together, hoping to tell Harry everything he was afraid to say out loud with one kiss. He poured his soul out into that kiss, licking into Harry’s mouth, pulling his body impossibly closer, so close that he could feel them breathing as one. Each inhalation was a promise, each exhalation a declaration. If Louis could only ask for one thing in his life, it would be Harry.

Harry broke the kiss, looking down at Louis with wonder. Maybe, Louis thought, maybe he could feel it too. Feel this oddly perfect bond that they had.

“Come on.” Harry whispered, staring into Louis’ eyes while reaching behind him to turn off the water. “Can’t wait anymore.”

Louis let Harry wrap him up in one of his Nan’s soft blue towels and pat him dry like a child. He quickly dried himself and led Louis back to their room. There was still a mattress in the center of the room, the two of them agreeing it was much more comfortable to sleep on the floor without the danger of the low ceilings giving them a concussion whenever one of them sat up too quickly. Harry laid Louis carefully in the center of the mattress.

“Turn over, love.” Harry said, softly, the air around them hushed and heavy.

Louis did as asked, presenting himself to Harry.

He felt Harry settle behind him, gripping his hips gently, pulling him backward. Looking down between his legs, he could see that Harry was on his back, his wet wavy hair spread out beneath him like silken seaweed. He could feel hot breath ghosting over his hole and waited in anticipation.

“ _Louis_.” Harry moaned softly between his thighs and pulled him down the last little centimeter so he could lick out around his rim.

Louis arched his back and let out a long high moan. Harry’s tongue was honestly a wonder of the world. He should write a Wikipedia page about Harry’s tongue.

Harry circled Louis’ rim with his tongue; soft teasing licks that made Louis writhe. Louis wanted to smash his bum down but that just wouldn’t be polite, so he let Harry take the lead, pulling and pushing him with his hands on his hips and the crease of his thighs. Then Harry started sucking.

Louis lost his ever-loving mind.

Between sucking, licking and blowing hot air over Louis’ hole, Harry was creating a masterpiece of rimming. Louis began losing track of his hoarse, fucked out voice as he chanted Harry’s name interspersed with “fuck” and “ohohoh”. Harry teased him like this for what felt like centuries until finally, he pointed his tongue and delved inside Louis.

Louis stopped writhing and was absolutely still as Harry thrust his tongue up inside him from below, hard pointed thrusts that felt so good because it was Harry and Harry’s tongue and Harry’s hands were gripping him so hard, controlling him from underneath and Louis…Louis was gone. Harry fucked him with his tongue and time stood still. Harry’s tongue was long and thick and while he couldn’t quite get to his prostate with it, the promise of it had Louis edging quickly. Too soon, Louis could feel his orgasm building.

“Haz. Haz….m’ going to come if you don’t stop.” Louis panted out, trying to pull away but Harry held fast to his legs.

Harry pulled his tongue out and lathed around Louis’ hole, sucking and nibbling, creating a whole other set of sensations. Slowly, he left wet kisses to the inside of Louis’ thighs and his inner cheeks. He pushed his way out from underneath Louis and pushed up kneeling. He fumbled for a condom and lube, absently telling Louis they were going to have to pick up more, and was soon lining himself up.

Louis dropped down to his forearms, making the angle a little easier. Harry draped himself over Louis’ back and slowly, with a deep long grunt of Louis’ name, he pushed in til his balls hit the swell of Louis’ ass. Louis inhaled sharply and let himself feel Harry, all of Harry.

“God, Harry. Feels so good right now. Love feeling you inside me.” Louis’ voice was positively wrecked, the blow job from earlier and the moaning from the gorgeous rimming wreaking havoc on his throat.

Harry groaned again and snapped his hips, pushing Louis forward on the mattress.   He dug into the sheets with his fists and curled his toes to give Harry more resistance. Harry fucked him hard and fast, a welcome change to the slow deliberate rimming he’d just given him.

Gusts of air were pushed from Louis’ body as Harry plowed into him. Harry’s grunts and moans were deep and forceful, nearly pained sounding. Harry came without warning, his hips not stilling, his movements jerky and harder. Louis winced, the pain of Harry’s sharp hipbones digging into his arse but the way Harry’s dick pulsed inside him more than made up for it. Roughly, Harry wrapped his hand around Louis’ dick and pulled him off quickly. He knew exactly how to get Louis off now, their bodies working in concert each time they had sex, so it wasn’t long.

Louis came with a high keen in his throat, pushing up into Harry’s fist, come spilling over Harry’s fingertips and the sheets below. He fell, boneless, on to the mattress, Harry flopping gracelessly on top of him.

Breathing heavily, Louis exhaled and reached around to touch Harry’s back. Harry cuddled into him, his dick slipping out of Louis’ body with an embarrassing slurp sound. Louis just grinned because what else could he do?

The two of them couldn’t move, their bodies spent. Louis was just drifting off into sleep, a puddle of come beneath him and Harry half on top of him, naked and sweaty when he thought he heard Harry murmur something.

His eyes opened wide in the dark room. What Harry said sounded an awful like “Love you.” And that, that was something Louis just wasn’t expecting.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

When Louis woke the next morning Harry was already up and downstairs. This was the first morning since they first slept together that they didn’t wake together, lounging lazily until their stomachs growled too noisily or the sound of the girls from downstairs roused them. Louis stretched under the sheets, his body a bit sticky from the night before. His arse was sore, but in the best possible way, and he couldn’t help the butterflies in his stomach as he thought of their night together.

Harry was kind of amazing in every way. He was sweet, funny, kind, intelligent. He was really good at sex.

Louis laughed, in spite of himself because he clearly had turned into a bumbling idiot over this kid he barely knew. But maybe Harry was right…maybe when you met the person, _the person_ , you just knew.

Louis sat rigidly upright in the bed. Shit.

Harry told Louis he loved him last night.

Did he? At least that’s what Louis thought he said. But now, in the light of day, the white yellow sun streaming through the little window, he couldn’t be sure. It sure as hell sounded like it.

Louis was fucked. And not just in the literal sense.

If Harry said he loved him…and Louis was having all of these…god forbid, _feelings_ for Harry….what was happening? What would happen when they had to say good bye in just a few short days?

Running a hand over his face, Louis blew out the breath he was holding. As he made his way to the shower, thoughts of last night and Harry in their little room flashed through his mind. He knew he had a choice to make. He could confront Harry and confess his feelings or he could do what he does best….avoid the entire situation at all costs.

One thing he knew for sure is that he was not ready, under any circumstances, to say good bye to the green eyed boy that had turned his life around.

****

“Good morning sunshine!” Lottie called from the breakfast bar, looking chipper and ready to attack the day over a plate of pancakes and a hot cup of tea.

Louis just grumbled at her, making his way to the kitchen for some caffeine. It was half past 10. He was really getting used to sleeping in every day. Good sex and lots of fresh air will do that to a lad, he supposed. Harry stood with his back to the door way as Louis entered and approached the kettle.

“Here, Lou.” Harry said quietly, turning to hand Louis a cup of tea, already prepared exactly how he liked it.

Louis met Harry’s eyes briefly before Harry turned away, saying, “Pancakes? V’ got some ready.”

Louis scratched his head and took a sip of the steaming bitter liquid in his mug. “Sounds good, thanks Haz.”

Harry acknowledged him with a tiny nod of the head but didn’t turn around. Which was…strange. Typically, as Lottie was so fond of pointing out, they never missed an opportunity to eye fuck each other. Louis clearly wasn’t the only feel awkward this morning. Louis was pretty sure he knew what was playing on Harry’s mind, but he didn’t want to discuss it with his sister hanging on their every word.

Louis made his way to the breakfast bar and slumped up next to his sister, laying his head on her shoulder. “Grumpy bear.” She cooed, tousling his hair and finishing up her plate of maple drenched cakes in front of her.

“Lou, the little girls want to go check out that municipal beach and boardwalk up the road from here. Fizzy and Collette wanted to hang here for the day, maybe walk into town for lunch. What are you and Harry up to?” Lottie sipped her tea, looking over the chipped cup at her brother’s face, her round blue eyes waiting expectantly.

Louis was a bit lost in thought because when did he and Harry become a collective unit? It had happened so slowly over the holiday that he hardly noticed it. But, really, it was true. Not a day had gone by that they hadn’t been attached at the hip (and other places, but Louis wasn’t going to discuss _that_ with his sister). They did make decisions together and it felt easy.   Normal, even. It was no secret that Lottie wanted the two of them to end up together, but still…it had just happened so easily over the past few days and weeks. They’d become a couple, right under Louis’ unsuspecting nose.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at Louis, a slight pink flush taking over his cheeks. Louis was pretty sure it wasn’t from the hot stove. Their eyes met and that familiar flash of heat passed between them. But beneath it, lurking just below the surface, was something else. Louis couldn’t put his finger on it but something had shifted, like sand beneath your feet at the water’s edge, solid but shifting just the same.

“Think Hazza and I will just hang here, maybe catch a movie. How’s that sound, Haz?” Louis finally managed, eager to figure out what was happening between the two of them, but sort of hellbent on avoiding it, in his typical Louis way. At least until he had his own thoughts sorted.

“Sounds good, Lou.” Harry murmured, sliding three ginormous blackberry pancakes on to a plate and handing it to Louis over the counter. Their fingers brushed and Harry smiled at Louis. Louis felt his heart beat just a fraction faster and that was enough for him. That and carb love on a plate.

“Maye we can hit happy hour at Scully’s? Have some dinner out?” Louis chirped, because, what the hell?

Lottie made a noise and scoffed, “Hardly fair you two get to toss back a few while I’m straddled with the wee ones.”

Louis glared at his sister, squinting his eyes at her. “Hmph. Well…I don’t remember you complaining when you and Janine had that _spa day_ last week and Harry and I here took everyone to that ridiculous build a pig store.” Louis was still having nightmares of flying pigs with stuffing oozing out of their snouts. Yuck.

Lottie flicked his nose and slid off the barstool. “Ok, Casanova. Fair point.”

Louis smiled at her, pancakes oozing out of his mouth, clearly chalking this exchange up to a win for him. Lottie fake gagged and rinsed her dish, placing it in the dishwasher and leaving the kitchen quickly, Harry and Louis the only two remaining. Harry turned back to the counter, walking slowly around to the other side, with a plate of pancakes for himself. “Can I sit here?”

Louis pulled him in by hooking his ankle around the back of his knee. “Of course you can, Hazza. Why would you even ask?” Harry didn’t answer, just looked down sheepishly, sitting down next to Louis, heat from his body seeping into Louis’ skin and bones.

Harry was just always so warm. So soft and warm. Again, he was a dark contrast of opposites. His skin was soft and yielding, seeming to hold the warmth from the long summer days deep within, yet, the long lines of his lithe muscles and body were hard and defined, strong and solid. Louis could talk for days about how Harry was a study in contrasts.  

“You were up early.” Louis remarked, letting the light fluffy pancakes dissolve on his tongue. Along with the tart tang of blackberries he picked up another faint flavor on his palate. Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Something sweet and homey.

Harry just hummed, forking a bite and putting it up to his mouth. Louis stared at his profile, Harry’s tongue poking out, caressing the tines of the fork, before closing his mouth around the food. Jesus, without meaning to he was making Louis imagine things…dirty things…

that involved pastries and maple syrup. Shaking his head, Louis forced himself to look away, shoveling in more food to keep his mind, and mouth, pre-occupied.

“Pancakes are great, Harry.”

“Thanks, Lou.” He gave Louis a smile sideways glance, a ghost of a smile lining his face.

Louis was struck by the fact that this was the first time there was some uncomfortable distance between the two of them. Up until now, at least after Louis let go of his unrealistic ideas of being able to resist Harry, the two of them had engaged easily in every day banter and conversation. This was the first morning things seemed…awkward.

“Haz?” Louis let the question hang in the air, not sure if he was ready to address it, or _how_ to address it.

Harry stood up and took his half-finished plate to the sink. Louis stared after him. “M’ just going to go help Phoebe with her craft project.” Harry murmured, leaving the kitchen quickly. Louis could only watch his long legs disappear around the corner before he realized what was happening. Slightly stunned, Louis felt his appetite leave the room too.

Clearly they were going to have to have The Talk. Louis was hoping he could muster the courage to say the things he needed to say; say the things he _wanted_ to say. There was too much bubbling beneath Louis’ chest to leave to chance. He had to get this right, he wanted to, for him and for Harry.

****

Louis spent the rest of the day filling out paperwork online for his academic appeal. He called his advisor and had a lengthy discussion about all the ways in which he will not replicate his grave mistakes of last year. She gave him some ideas for on and off campus housing and also agreed to send him a list of part time jobs to help him subsidize the cost. Because he would be on academic probation he was not eligible for the same type of aid that he had received before. Going back was going to be a pain in the arse and a pain in the wallet. But…it was worth it. At least that’s what Louis kept reminding himself. He fell asleep on Harry’s bed reading through the emails his advisor had sent him.

He woke to the sound of Harry getting dressed across the room. The air was humid and smelled like Harry’s body wash and expensive coconut and agave (or some equally weird combination) conditioner. When Louis had first seen the glittery gold bottle in the shower Harry had extolled the virtues of regular deep conditioning. Louis had smiled and told Harry how most of the time he actually forgot to wash his hair. Harry was mortified.

“Haz…” Louis croaked, his voice addled with sleep and disuse.

“Hey.” Harry had slipped on those tight black jeans again. As he bent over to pull on his boots Louis could see the way the back of his thighs bulged out in firm definition. As he stood up, shirtless, the tiny love handles that Louis had come to adore strained against the tight waistband and his round perfect bum stretched the material deliciously.

Really. Trousers like that should be illegal.

Louis sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Look nice.” He murmured, fully appreciating the view.

Harry smirked and then went back to frowning as he pulled a button up shirt from the closet. This one was white and ¾ sleeved with gold threads striping vertically through the nearly see through material. It made Louis’ mouth water. Harry was one of those people that wore clothes, not the other way around. Louis could see the way Harry’s shoulder muscles bunched together as he pulled the shirt on, hiding the smooth broad planes of his back. Shame.

“Afraid I don’t have anything as nice to wear, Haz.” He apologized, standing slowly, careful not to bump his head.

Harry turned to him and took in his smaller, more compact frame. “Lou. You can wear anything and still look gorgeous.”

Louis felt his cheeks pink as he preened at the compliment. Harry was charming, that was for sure, but the tone in his voice was simple, almost like he was stating that the sky was blue. Like it was fact. “Ha. Don’t know about that.”

Louis walked up to Harry, swatting his fingers away from the tiny white abalone shell buttons on his shirt. “Let me.”

Harry looked down at Louis, studying his nimble fingers. Louis could feel Harry’s breath falling over his cheekbones as he looked up at him through his long lashes. He looked into the depths of Harry’s forest green eyes realizing, yet again, that he was truly the most stunning human being he had ever seen. Harry’s eyes, right now, were brimming with such affection and desperation. It was a breathtaking mix of emotion and trepidation and it assaulted every one of Louis’ senses. For just that moment he felt he could drown in Harry’s eyes; get lost in them and never look back.

Louis inhaled Harry into his lungs. He wanted to remember every line and freckle on Harry’s face and he wanted to memorize the taste, smell and feel of him so he could always feel this way, right now, whenever, in the years to come he needed to remember that once, long ago, he had something real and perfect and it was all his. He was hoping he wouldn’t have to remember, but still…he felt like he was on shaky ground, uncertain where to step next.

With a wobbly breath Louis leaned up and kissed Harry’s full bottom lip and whispered, “I’ll meet you downstairs.” He walked away, feeling Harry’s fingertips burned into his skin and his handsome, handsome face seared into his retinas.

****

Scully’s was one of those kitschy seaside bar/restaurant combos that was frequented more by locals than tourists. It was walking distance along the wooded beachside path from Louis’ Nan’s place, which made it all the more appealing when one wanted to imbibe in beverages of the adult variety.   It was plainly decorated in an odd mix of beach motif and Irish memorabilia. Scully himself tended bar, and often was about three sheets to the wind by 6:00 pm most evenings.

Harry and Louis settled on the outdoor veranda, overlooking the ocean. It was a lovely evening, the sun setting and illuminating the sky and sea with vivid shades of purple, orange and red. Louis pulled his black t-shirt down over his hips as he settled in to his seat, glad he at least thought to bring a pair of simple black chinos. He had rolled them at the ankles, donning his usual checkered vans. At least it was better than the holey track shorts and worn out swim trunks he’d been wearing for the past two and a half weeks.

Harry fiddled with the menu in front of them. He had continued to be uncharacteristically quiet during the short walk over. Louis was certain he was stewing about what he said last night as they drifted off to sleep and god knows Louis had been giving him mixed singles over the past few weeks. But now…now Louis was ready to talk about everything. Get it out in the open. Be responsible adults. Louis was down for that. He was the older one here. He could take the lead. _Have a_ _real_ _conversation_.

But first a drink.

When the server approached their table, Louis gestured to Harry to order first. “I’ll just have a…uh…Malibu and pineapple juice, please.”

The waitress smiled and wrote on her pad. Louis had to force himself to look away from Harry’s lips, just slightly wet and glistening in the golden light of sunset. “Yes! I’ll have a…” He glanced at the drink menu. “Scully’s Slow Screw.”

He smirked at the waitress, who was completely nonplussed as she jotted down his order. Harry on the other hand, snorted and jerked so hard the table shook from his knee bumping up on the underside. Louis threw an evil grin at him, and then looked back at the server with big innocent eyes.

“Coming right up.” She said, scurrying away, totally ignoring their adolescent humor.

Louis looked at Harry, still wide eyed and grinning. “You are a menace.” Harry’s voice was soft and joyful.

“At least I got you to smile.” Louis remarked, linking his ankle with Harry’s under the table, the stretch not that far since Harry’s legs were endless.

Harry smiled a minute more and then looked away at the sea. In profile, the muted colors danced across his face, making Louis want to paint him. Or photograph him. Or do something artistic with him. Whatever. He looked amazing and Louis was smitten.

Louis managed to get Harry to small talk about what he did with the girls all afternoon. Harry was lulled into the conversation easily because talking about Louis’ sisters was something that came so easily to him. He rambled on about how they made paper flowers and decorated the greenhouse and pretended to have a grand garden party. The twins dressed up in fancy dresses fashioned from beach towels and Harry braided wild flowers into their hair. Fizzy and Collette even joined in, pretending to be famous chefs, bringing them finger sandwiches and tiny cups of mint tea.

Louis was enraptured by Harry’s retelling of the afternoon. Harry seemed light and so young. His voice rose in pitch as he shared all the little comments the girls made. He gesticulated with his long hands and arms, smiling broadly as he captured every detail of what sounded like a magical afternoon.

“M’ so glad you get along so well with my family, Haz.” Louis remarked once Harry had finished, the two of them nearly finished with their drinks.

“Why wouldn’t I, Lou? They are amazing. You all are.” Harry smiled, warmly, seemingly dragged back into his thoughts.

The server came up then to take their orders. The ordered a second round of drinks and settled on a burger (for Louis) and a Scully Salad (for Harry--which sounded an awful like a chicken Caesar to Louis). For a moment they were quiet, the lull of the nearby waves settling between them.

“So what did you do all afternoon?” Harry asked carefully, thanking the server for their drinks as she appeared again.

Once they were alone again, Louis smiled and said, “Well…I took care of some paperwork needed to go back to school in the fall.”

Harry stared at Louis and slowly let a smile creep on to his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Louis confirmed, taking a long drag of his sweet drink. “So…I’m on academic probation but…yeah. It’s good. I have been thinking a lot about it and…I really want to finish. I want to get on with my life. And…yeah. I’m excited.”

Harry nodded his head and took another gulp of his drink. “M’ proud of you Lou. You’ll be a really good teacher. You deserve this.”

Louis smiled at Harry over the table, the candlelight flickering between them. Louis suspected that it was citronella, but still…he let himself pretend the candles were solely placed there for romance, not mosquito control. “Harry. I’ve got you to thank for motivating me, you know.”

Harry looked surprised. “Wha…Lou?”

“Yeah. You just. You make everything look effortless, you know? And you’ve helped me see another side of myself these past weeks. Something that I think is worth…you know…fighting for. Like, I’m good enough to be a teacher.” He took a deep breath. “I’m good enough to be happy.”

Harry smiled the most genuine, warm smile. It made Louis feel like he could melt right there in his seat. He looked proud and happy and most of all just _in love_. Louis’ stomach fluttered and he felt his heart beat a little faster. He felt hot all of a sudden and could feel his breath come a little faster. He remembered reading once that during the early stages of love; human beings actually have a physiological response to their partner. Louis could definitely vouch for that. It seems that every time Harry is near him he gets this overwhelming dizzy feeling that is a swirling of heat and desire and stomach flipping, heart humming out of control need to just _touch_. It was just so all consuming. And right now, it was making Louis feel like he could do a cartwheel, or sing an opera or recite a sonata. Or something.

Harry was still smiling when the waitress placed their plates in front of them and Louis, Louis was just sitting there looking like a madman. He remembered reading that once too; that the brain in love was very similar to a brain consumed with mental illness. So…there was that.

Harry started moving his food around with his fork and Louis chewed on the end of a chip. They locked eyes with each other again and their plates were forgotten. Louis took another sip of his drink, in effect draining it, while Harry did the same. The table next to them cleared, leaving them alone on the little porch. Louis took a deep breath. It was now or never.

“So…Harry…”

Harry put his glass down along with his fork and leaned forward. “Yeah?”

“I love you.”

Just like that. Louis blurted it out. No pretenses, no long drawn out build up. Just the three words that he’s been running from. Three words that he was pretty sure just changed his life forever.

Harry’s mouth dropped open, wide and gaping. He blinked his big eyes once, twice, three times, slow and deliberate. His dimples slowly appeared on his cheeks, his mouth opening in a wide gaping grin. “What?”

“You heard me.” Louis smiled right back. Little fucker.

They stared at each other across the table, darkness surrounding them. “M’ not very hungry anymore.” Harry whispered, conspiratorially.

“Me neither.” Louis said slowly, biting his bottom lip.

Staring. Staring.   Staring.

Louis dug into his pocket and pulled out some money, probably too much money, tossing it at the table. He pushed up out of his chair, jostling the table. Harry moved slower, but no less crudely. Gripping Harry’s hand, Louis dragged Harry from the restaurant and out into the night. Trudging up the small road leading to the path that would take them home, Louis walked until he was breathless, Harry’s hand clinging to his own behind him.

“Lou! Lou! Stop!” Harry laughed behind him, pulling Louis abruptly to a stop.

Louis stopped, halted short and against Harry’s solid chest. He turned quickly and grabbed at Harry’s long curls, pulling him down to kiss him senseless. Their tongues met immediately, urgent and hot. Harry’s blunt teeth bit down on Louis’ bottom lip, earning him a low moan from the smaller boy in his arms. Louis tangled his hands in Harry’s hair, pulling harder, pushing his crotch up into Harry’s.

“ _Lou_.” Harry sighed, gripping Louis by his cheeks, his palms warm and sure on Louis’ cool skin.

“Love you, Harry. Love the way you kiss.” Louis kissed him, as if to prove the point, roughly, bruising their lips together. “Love the way you talk. So fucking slow all the time.” Another deep kiss. “Love the way you look at me. Fucking love everything about you.” His hands were frantically moving under Harry’s loose shirt, the fabric billowing in the night breeze. He couldn’t touch Harry enough; he couldn’t reach _enough_ of him.

“Fuck. _Louis_.” Harry pushed Louis further into the wooded area on their right until they reached a wide evergreen tree.

Louis panted as he felt the bark press into his skin through the thin t-shirt. “ _Hazza_.” Louis gripped Harry’s hips, his fucking skin tight pants making it nearly impossible to wiggle his fingers inside. He was itching to take Harry in his hand, jerk him off until he saw stars. Harry breathed against Louis’ neck, his breath coming warm and fast, making Louis half crazed with need.

Pushing into Louis against the tree, slotting one long leg between Louis’, Harry held Louis’ face in his hands, eyes wide open and looking deep into Louis’. He exhaled a shaky breath and clenched his eyes shut quickly and then opened them again before he spoke, slow and sure. “I Love you Louis William Tomlinson. Love you more than there are stars in the sky or waves in the ocean. I love you with all of my mind, body and soul. You have my heart. It’s yours.”  

Well shit. That sure beat Louis’ declaration out of the water. Louis was swimming in desire, so fucking in love with the odd lanky boy in front of him, full of polar opposites and quirky earnestness. “Kiss me, Harry.” Was all he could say, because, in this moment, that was all that mattered.

Harry bent down to kiss Louis, soft and pure. Just a brush of lips and a gentle caress of hands against skin. “Lou. Want you to fuck me tonight.” He whispered into Louis’ ear, flicking his tongue out once inside the shell, sending a chill through Louis’ and directly into his quickly filling cock.

Louis looked at Harry, grabbing at his arse over his pants, rutting up against his thigh involuntarily, his body seeking out friction; release. “Yeah?” His hips stuttered before he continued. “Shit. Yes. _Please_.” Louis’ voice was broken, sounding like a very eager child begging for dessert before dinner.

Harry laughed that deep little chuckle of his and pushed away from the tree; away from Louis. “Well, come on. Get me home.”

Home. Louis liked the way that sounded.

They stumbled through the well-worn path, chasing the lights from the house through the woods. It was early, just after 8:00 when they tiptoed through the front door. Louis didn’t feel like stopping for anyone and, from the looks of it, neither did Harry. It wasn’t exactly easy to hide his sizeable bulge in those sinful jeans and he was looking rather flushed and, dare Louis say it, horny as hell.

Carefully, they walked through the silent kitchen, taking note of the sounds coming from the basement. Sounded like there was a rousing round of table tennis going on. Louis looked over his shoulder and winked at Harry as they worked their way up the stairs. Harry broke out into near hysterical laughter when Louis shot darts from his eyes over one particularly loud stair creaking, but other than that, they made it to the attic undetected.

Once inside their little room, Harry mouthed at Louis’ neck from behind. He reached around and unbuttoned Louis’ chinos and let Louis kick them off. He stopped sucking at the juncture of Louis’ neck and shoulder to remove his t-shirt, baring Louis completely. Harry ran his big hands over Louis’ hips and sides, roaming his chest and tweaking his nipples one by one. Louis let his head loll backwards on to Harry’s shoulder and let out a needy sigh.

“Lou?” Harry whispered, pushing his still clothed hard-on into Louis’ arse.

“Hm?” Louis was amazed at the heightened sensation of Harry’s fingers on his skin. If he knew ever touch would be this much more intense, purposeful, he would have told Harry he loved him days ago.

“Haven’t you wondered all this time why you haven’t fucked me?” His hands stilled, pressed into Louis’ hips, squeezing at the soft flesh there.

Louis turned and clasped his hands around Harry’s neck. Looking up at him he said, quietly, “I dunno. I figured maybe you didn’t like it?”

Harry kissed Louis’ temple and walked him backward so he could sit on the edge of Harry’s bed. “Nope. That’s not why.” He slowly pulled his still buttoned shirt over his head, his golden skin shining in the dark room.

Louis looked up at him, reverently, admiring his long lean torso and the way his hair fell in waves over his shoulders. “Then why?” He asked softly.

Harry slowly peeled his jeans off of his sinewy legs, muscles flexing. For the life of Louis he couldn’t figure out how Harry got those off so effortlessly. Louis would be a heaving sweaty mess if he tried to get them off of Harry, let alone himself. Standing to his full height, naked (because of course there are no underpants under those jeans), he ran his hand through his hair and finally looked down at Louis, eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

“Hey. Harry. Hey. Don’t cry.” Louis stood up quickly, bumping his godamn head on the ceiling, “Mother fucker.” He wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed him lightly on the mouth, the chin, each cheek… “What’s wrong?”

Harry sniffed and pushed Louis’ hair from his forehead and out of his eyes. “I wanted to wait until you knew this was…real. I wanted to wait til you loved me like I loved you.”

Louis felt like the air was pulled from his lungs at the sheer simplicity but endless depth of Harry’s words. Louis thought back to all those days ago when Harry said to him that sometimes you just “know” when it comes to finding the right person. And, shuddering, Louis realized that Harry was telling him that he knew all along. And Louis, stubborn, thick headed Louis, took his time figuring it out. He thought about that couple on the beach, and how they’d been together all these years. How perfectly sweet they were; content and so in love even after all this time.

“Oh Harry. Poor lamb. I’m so sorry. Sorry I put you through this. Sorry I made you wait.” Louis ran his fingertips up and down Harry’s arms, feeling the goose bumps pop out on his chilled skin.

“Louis. You were worth the wait.” Harry said slowly, his voice steady, eyes clear.

Louis inhaled deeply, suddenly the weight of what they were about to do settling on his shoulders. He knew this was one of those moments. A moment in time that they would look back on and remember, butterflies churning in their stomachs, as the first time they really made love.

“Come on love. Lay down.”

Harry knelt down and rolled to his back, his normally gawky body graceful and beautiful in the moonlight. Louis stared down at him while reaching for the supplies. He could feel his cock twitch in anticipation, the deep longing lodged in his throat. Louis knew that it was incredibly important that he make this good for Harry. Everything seemed hinged on this moment. Harry was giving Louis this precious gift and Louis felt so grateful and honored.

“Haz. I’m going to take my time, ok darling? Want you to feel so good. Want you to feel how much I love you.” Louis’ clear voice floated through the air.

Harry visibly shuddered, his dick hard between his legs, as he ghosted his fingers around his shaft, slow and shaky. “Don’t take too long. Don’t think I could take it, Lou.”

Louis smiled and crawled up between Harry’s legs. “Can you…” he dropped the lube and condom next to him on the mattress. “Put your legs up here.” He lifted Harry’s long legs so that they draped over his shoulders and down his back. He knelt between Harry’s legs and looked down at Harry, flushed and breathing heavily. “You’re beautiful, Haz. So beautiful.”

Harry arched his back and dropped his hands into the sheets beside him. His mouth was open slightly and his eyes glazed. Louis pecked him once on the mouth, capturing his bottom lip between his own, giving it a small suck. Then he was up on his haunches, slicking up his fingers. With Harry’s legs over his shoulders the angle was perfect. Louis looked at Harry’s opening up close and itched to touch, to fuck. His cock was painfully hard, needing attention soon.

Finally, Louis rubbed his middle finger over Harry’s rim. Harry breathed in sharply and arched his back more. “S’ ok, Haz, I got you. I got you.”

Louis pushed Harry’s hips down to the mattress with one hand and continued rubbing and circling his rim with one slick finger. Leaning down, he mouthed at Harry’s balls, licking them and sucking them gently into his mouth. Harry was nearly hairless and Christ if his balls weren’t fantastic in Louis’ mouth. Slowly, while he distracted Harry with his tongue rolling his balls in and out of his mouth (which, apparently, Harry really liked), Louis sunk one finger inside Harry’s tight heat. Louis let out a moan that vibrated around Harry’s balls at the feeling of Harry’s vice like walls. Louis was dazed at how tight Harry felt, how truly buttery soft and velvety under his finger.

Harry cried out, jerking down into Louis’ slight thrust. “More, Lou. God, _more_.”

Louis didn’t want to hurt Harry, but he also didn’t want to be a disappointment, so he decided to give the boy what he wanted. He swirled his finger inside Harry, with some difficulty because he was so tight, and began a quicker thrusting motion. In and out he plunged, Harry’s breath coming in short waves in time with Louis’ finger. Harry sounded near tears, the edge in his voice hot and desperate. Louis sat up a little and snuck another finger alongside the first.

“Shit... Louis… _fuck_.” Harry clenched down as Louis leaned up over him, shushing him in his ear.

Louis stilled his finger as deep as he could go inside Harry and scissored them slightly, the stretch short and tight. “Relax, love. S’ ok. V’ got you.” Louis breathed as he nibbled and sucked along Harry’s sharp jawline. He could feel Harry’s insides loosen a little, ready to take more.

“Gonna give you another, Haz. Let me know if this hurts and I’ll stop.” Louis sucked a spot on Harry’s collar bone, Harry crying out with the intense pleasure of it.

Adding another finger, the fit impossibly tight, Louis pushed as much as he dared. Slowly, slowly, Harry’s body drew him in, accommodating his fingers and finally, giving way to a wider stretch.

“That’s right, Hazza. So good for me. Can’t wait to be inside you, love. You are so beautiful.” Louis murmured little praises as he fucked his fingers in and out, swiveling them and scissoring.

Now, with the added room since Harry’s body relaxed to accommodate him, Louis could search for Harry’s spot. Probing around as he soothed the pads of his fingers all along Harry’s walls, he pushed in deep and felt what he was looking for.

“Fucking… _Louis_!” Harry cried out, his voice hoarse and loud. So deep and rough, Louis’ dick blurted pre-come just from the sound of it. He had to fist the base of his cock to keep from coming.

Now that he was past the initial stretch, and feeling the immense pleasure that came with Louis’ ministrations, Harry began to move his hips in a truly sinful way, fucking down on Louis’ fingers, moaning and writhing with every jab at his prostate. Louis had never felt someone so receptive underneath him; _so loud_. Harry was soaring, nearing an otherworldliness of beauty as Louis stretched him open wide, making sure he was ready for his cock.

“Babe. You ready?” Louis was covered in sweat, his limbs sliding along Harry’s as he propped himself above Harry, letting his legs finally drop to the side.

Harry let out a strangled moan, opening his legs wider. “Not gonna last Lou. Need you so much.”

Louis smiled and kissed Harry softly on the side of the mouth, his lips tickled by the faint whiskers above his top lip. “Need you too. Love you.”

Harry opened his eyes wide, the light bouncing off of the bright green crystalline surface. “Love you too.” He whispered, twining his hands into Louis’ hair, pulling him down for a messy kiss. It was all tongue and spit and so fucking perfect Louis thought he could cry. If this was the difference between fucking and making love, Louis thought, sign him up. He’s in.

Breaking the kiss, because he could literally feel Harry’s dick twitching between them (it was kind of huge and obvious), Louis leaned up and rolled a condom on himself and applied more lube. Harry was looking thoroughly fucked already, his dick painfully aroused. “Ready, love?”

Harry nodded and leaned up on his elbows so he could watch Louis. He bit his bottom lip and spread his legs even wider, his flexible legs nearly flat on the mattress alongside Louis’ hips. Louis smirked and shook his head. Seriously, how did he get so lucky? This kid literally fell into his life like some sick cosmic joke, only Louis found a way to get ahead of karma this time. He was a lucky sonofabitch, he thought, looking down at the pretty, pretty boy in front of him.

“ _Louis_.” Harry whined.

Right. Back to the matter at hand. Or dick. Whatever. Louis leaned forward and fed his dick into Harry’s waiting hole. He pushed in slowly, at least as slow as he could possibly move with Harry’s hot wet heat sucking him in. Finally, balls pressed to Harry’s ass, he felt like he could breathe again. Harry flopped back on the mattress, his chest heaving with the thickness of Louis inside of him, his mouth round and open.

Having Harry surround him like this, enveloping his body, assaulting his every sense, was unreal. Louis had no words to describe what it felt like to have this man, the man he loved no less, give himself to Louis in this way. It was intense, emotional and like nothing else Louis felt before. It was important. Harry was important. And Louis, Louis finally felt like he deserved at least half of what Harry was willing to give.

And that was something.

Harry began pumping his hips in small grinding circles, fucking Louis from underneath while this string of moans and deep groans left his body. It was fucking lovely and hot and just so _Harry_. Louis leaned forward and began meeting Harry’s thrusts, their bodies matching up at an alarmingly quick pace. Moving in tandem, Louis breathed in Harry’s air, feeling dizzy and lightheaded from how good he felt. Everything was buzzing, every nerve ending, every cell in his body.

Louis reached between them, preparing to jack Harry off, bring him to release because he didn’t think he was going to make it if he had to wait to come much longer. Harry swatted his hand away, panting, his hair sweaty and hanging in loose clumps on his face. “No!” He grunted impatiently. “Wanna come from your cock.”

Louis’ was mid grind during this revelation and he felt his dick twitch pitifully deep inside Harry. “Yeah?”

“Fuck yes, please, Lou, don’t stop.” Harry’s face was red, a beautiful flush that had spread down his body.

Louis doesn’t want to deny Harry anything. Anything Harry wants he can have, as far as Louis is concerned. So, he fucks him. Fucks him with everything he has. Fucks him until the room is filled with the sounds of their skin slapping and their voices mingling into a chorus of moans that could possible sound like angels singing.

When Harry comes, Louis watches him. He can’t tear his eyes away from him because it is the single most amazing thing he has ever seen in his life and he has seen the birth of nearly all his siblings. This beats any of those, any sunset eyes have ever seen and any of the natural wonders of the world. Harry coming is like a flower blooming behind Louis’ eyes; it is the unfurling of everything good in all of creation. It takes Louis’ breath away.

And makes him come.

Louis slumps down on top of Harry, smearing come between them, feeling Harry’s big hands envelope him and hold him still, his cock still buried and pulsing inside him. Louis can barely move his hips anymore but the come keeps streaming into the condom, the tight fit of Harry’s arse milking everything from Louis’ body.

Finally, finally, when they have both come down enough to breathe normally and see straight, Louis pulls out of Harry gently. Harry still hisses at the slight burn and drag of it, pulling Louis down to kiss him as a distraction. Their lips meet and their tongues find one another in an exotic twining that drips with passion and emotion.

Louis is in love. And Harry loves him back.

Letting out a long breath, Louis whispers against Harry’s mouth, “Alright, love?”

Harry smiles, that lopsided grin of his that showcases his deep dimples and the creases around his twinkly jade green eyes. “Better than.”

Louis smiles back and falls into Harry’s embrace, curling his body up next to Harry’s, who is starfished across the tiny mattress, hands and legs falling of each side. Louis feels the cool air drying their skin and he can smell sex all around him. It’s a heavenly scent. Not as good as Harry. But, now, Louis will associate this scent as yet another part of Harry’s unique fragrance.  

“Lou?” Harry’s usually loud raspy voice is quiet and deep.

“Hm?”

“Love you.” There is a smile in his voice. Louis hears it without even looking at him. But he does anyway. Propping himself up on one elbow so he can look down at Harry, Louis feels the itchy scratch in the back of his throat as the tears spring up.

How he managed to live his life before this; before Harry, he’ll never know. But, now, now that he has Harry by his side he feels complete. He feels like there is nothing he can’t do. With Harry here, looking at him with his eyes full of complete devotion and love, Louis feels that his heart couldn’t possibly hold any more love and affection. But, he knows that it can, is the thing. And it will. Louis knows that Harry will face the future together and that, with love, as sure as the tide moves in and out with each passing day, anything is possible.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end! I hope you liked...please feel free to share or leave a comment. Thank you!

**Epilogue**

“Babe! Have you seen the turmeric?”

Louis emerges from the bedroom, freshly changed from his dress clothes and into one of Harry’s tattered t-shirts and a pair of track shorts. “What the fuck is turmeric, even?”

Harry laughs, his deep voice rumbling through their one bedroom apartment. Louis sidles up behind him in their small kitchen and wraps his arms around Harry’s middle. Harry presses back into Louis’ embrace and leans sideways to capture Louis’ mouth in a quick kiss. He is stirring something that looks suspiciously like curry and, fuck yes! Curry is Louis’ favorite.

“Turmeric, love, is needed to make you your precious curry.” Harry chides, dipping a long finger into the yellowy sauce and offering it to Louis.

Louis takes the finger into his mouth, making a show of rolling his tongue around Harry’s extended digit, moaning just a little, because he like riling Harry up. “Mmmmm. Needs turmeric.”

Harry swats at him and mutters, “Little shit.” He shoves past him and rifles through a drawer, coming up victorious, turmeric in hand.

Louis smirks and hops up on to the kitchen counter to watch Harry work. Harry’s long limbs are graceful, here in their kitchen, if not anywhere else. Louis loves to watch Harry get lost in cooking. He looks like an artist at work, moving around in slow easy circles, stirring and sprinkling, tasting and simmering. It’s magical.

“So…how do you think the kids did on the grammar test?” Harry asks, over his shoulder, as he pulls out a package of diced chicken from the refrigerator.

Louis looks at the swell of Harry’s arse as it obscenely pops out from behind the refrigerator door. He’s wearing boxer briefs, which is bad enough, but they are red leopard print, which Louis bought for him as a joke but Harry actually wears them. And looks fucking good in them. “Hm?”

“Stop ogling my bum, perve.” Harry teases, sliding the chicken into the skillet. “I said…how was the test?”

“Oh, right. The test. Seemed good. I uh…changed a few of the long answers to multiple choice. They all seemed relieved at that.”

Harry stirred his sauce at the same time as gently turning the chicken, browning the chunks a nice golden color. Louis admired the way his long forearms stretched out over the stove, tendons flexing, tattoos moving effortlessly over the lean muscles. Harry dropped the spatula in the sink and put the spoon in its rest alongside the stove on the counter. He dropped the chicken into the sauce pan, a light kerplunk echoing in the small space. Harry turned to Louis and opened his legs, slotting himself between Louis’ thick thighs.

Louis looks down at this beautiful boy, his _husband_ , and feels his breath stall in his chest. Harry is still just so breathtakingly beautiful, even after 8 years together. Louis can see where the crow’s feet around his eyes are a bit more deep set and the way his skin is just a bit looser around his cheekbones, but other than that he looks exactly the way he did all those years ago when he first laid eyes on him in his mum’s driveway. Today, he has as long hair tucked behind his ears, the ends curling up around his collarbones. He still keeps it long, Louis prefers it that way, and he really doesn’t need to keep it short, not for work anyway.

Louis tangles his fingers in the silken strands cascading down the back of Harry’s head and presses their lips together for a long, tender kiss, chasing away any tension from the day, reveling in how the perfect fit of their mouths together feels so familiar, so much like coming home. “That’s better.” He murmurs up against Harry’s mouth, smelling the lingering scent of curry and the iced coffee Harry most likely sipped on all afternoon while he sat at his desk editing his second novel.

“Mmmmm.” Harry hums, high in his throat, the deep reverberation of it sending a chill down Louis’ spine. “Love you.”

Louis opens his eyes and is met with Harry’s deep green irises, his long lashes blinking slowly, making Louis go a bit cross eyed at how close they are. Harry’s big hands are flat on Louis’ thighs, the apron he’s wearing ridiculously silky, orange ruffles complimenting Harry’s already tan skin nicely.

“Just two more weeks and then I’m out for summer.” Louis sighs, tilting Harry’s head, using his hands in his hair to maneuver him.

Harry exhales as Louis’ tongue dances its way along his sharp jawline, the stubble a bit more dense here than it was 8 years ago. Louis swirls his tongue at Harry’s pulse point and pulls the sensitive skin into his mouth, sucking gently, careful not to leave a mark because Harry has a meeting with his agent tomorrow. The smell of chicken curry surrounds them, creating a soft fog of exotic spices and aromas in the small homey space.

Harry pushes away slightly, “Careful, husband, you’ll distract me and I’ll burn the curry.”

“Hm. Wouldn’t want that.” Louis murmurs, shivering at Harry’s use of the word “husband”. It kind of gets him hard.

Harry floats away, the silly apron fluttering around him, his naked torso taunting Louis beneath the fabric, the firm bulge of his crotch pushing the thin material out between his legs. Louis smirks because, really, his boy is absolutely adorable. Soft music comes from the living room; sounds like Cowboy Junkies. Harry is constantly finding old music he likes to overdose on until Louis begs him to please, for the love of god, just put on something normal like Coldplay, Beyonce or even Justin Timberlake. Harry just smiles and moves on to the next resurrected find from bygone days.

Harry spoons the curry and ride into brightly colored bowls and sprinkles toasted coconut and almonds on top. He pours each of them a glass of citrusy pale ale from the fridge and gestures toward their shared living space. “Dining room or deck?”

Louis eyeballs his long bare legs and short tight underwear. “I think dining room, love. Getting tired of that ancient geezer across the road eyeballing you all the time. You don’t exactly help with the aprons and lack of decent clothing either.”

Harry giggles; the joke between them never gets old. Harry actually prefers to be naked. But Louis drew the line at food preparation, citing sanitation concerns or fear of Harry cutting off his willy. And that would be a travesty. So…Louis buys him aprons. Stupidly ridiculous flamboyant aprons. And Harry wears them. Proudly.  

They make their way to the dining room, which is really a section of their tiny living room, with a small table and mismatched chairs. When they sit, their knees touch and it couldn’t be more cozy or perfect, as far as Louis is concerned. Harry lights the candle on the table, sandalwood, and smiles at Louis. Louis grins like an idiot. He can’t help it.

The first bite is nearly orgasmic. Except not quite, because Louis has sex with Harry on the regular and well, that just couldn’t be compared to good curry, even if it is really fucking good curry.

“Darling.” Is all Louis says. All he needs to say.

“I know, right?” Harry remarks, spooning up another healthy bite.

They take their time with the meal, enjoying their beer as it combats the heat of the curry. They talk about each other’s days and silly stories that they’ve shared before, laughing easily because they are friends. True best friends. And Louis is so beyond grateful that his soul mate is his best friend and husband and other half all rolled into one perfect amazing creature that stops his heart and steals his breath and makes him act like a complete fool most of the time.

After they eat, Louis cleans up. That’s the rule. Harry helps though, because they’ve just been away from each other all day and why would they be separated when they could be together? It makes Lottie sick, watching them, although she secretly tells Louis whenever she can that she’s so happy they got together, and of course, takes gleeful pride in the fact that she’s the one who had the foresight to plot their union.

“Oh. Talked to my mum today…” Louis began, dropping the last fork into the dishwasher.

“Yeah?” Harry asked, drying the skillet and placing it back in the drawer.

Louis turned around and grabbed Harry’s hand, pulling him closer. Harry smiles, wide and dimpled, and let’s himself be pulled. “Yeah.” Louis smiles back; dragging Harry into a dance only the two of them know the rhythm to.

“How is she?”

“Good. Ernie got an A on his spelling test.”

“Smart lad.” Harry twirls Louis under his arm, his hand falling to his hip, firm and sturdy.

“Hm.” Louis picks up the trail of kisses he left before dinner, earning him a deep growl from deep in Harry’s chest. “We can use the summer home the first two weeks of summer, before the rest of them join us.” He whispers against Harry’s salty-sweet skin.

Harry’s head jerks up, eyes wide and twinkling. “Yeah? For real?”

A small giggle escapes Louis’ mouth. “For real?”

“We can skinny dip.” Harry breaths out, hands reaching down to cup Louis’ ample arse.

“Yup.” Louis licks out over Harry’s collar bone.

“We can sleep til noon.” Harry pushes Louis up against the counter.

“Yup.” Louis unties the apron, letting it drift to the floor.

“We can lie around and watch movies naked.” Harry grinds into Louis’ semi, forcing a small moan from his husband’s open mouth.

“Uh-huh.” Louis leans down and gently nibbles on one of Harry’s perky nipples.

“We can fuck all day and night.” Harry jerks Louis’ head up with his hands firmly pressed to his cheeks.

Louis can’t speak because Harry’s tongue is invading his mouth, taking over his senses in the way that only Harry can. Harry kisses him hard and with intent, leaving Louis panting and embarrassingly hard.

“ _Haz_.” Louis finally gasps, feeling every perfect ridge of Harry’s erection pressed up against his. He needs Harry. Longs for him in a way that he’ll never fully understand, in a way that only makes sense to the two of them.

“Come on.” Harry pulls away, grabbing Louis by the hand and leading him toward their bedroom.

Louis goes willingly, anticipation crowding his brain, narrowing everything down to a single word, “Harry, Harry, Harry”.

As he coaxes Harry to lie beneath him on their soft bed in the crowded room, he finds himself thinking over their life together, the past 8 years they’ve shared. It hasn’t always been easy. They’ve had their share of fights, but like Sadie told them all those years ago on the beach, they never go to bed angry. They struggle with money; Louis’ teaching salary is never quite enough and Harry’s earnings from writing sporadic until he gains more recognition. But there is always plenty and they don’t need much.

They are happy, healthy and blessed beyond measure. Looking down at Harry’s sleepy eyes and his peaceful, tranquil face, his parted lips and pink cheeks, Louis thinks, this, this is all he could ever want, ever need. Looking at Harry is like staring out at the sea. It makes Louis feel buoyant. It makes him feel happy and carefree; free floating among the waves. Most of all it makes him know that even though this world is huge, so fucking huge, he and Harry found each other. Even if it took a little shove from his sister, and universal fortune, they found each other. They managed to fall in love and build a life. And that, Louis thinks, is beyond measure, more than all the grains of sand on the earth put together; more than all the drops of water in the sea. It is everything. And it’s enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Please leave a comment or a kudo. These are the things egotistical and neurotic writers live for! Thank you!


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